Westlake Village explores new signage standards
for commercial area
By Michael Picarella
Acorn Staff Writer

The city of Westlake Village is in the preliminary stages of creating a separate standard for business monument signs in the Westlake North commercial area.

Westlake North is comprised of businesses only–without residents––and city officials want to adjust existing signage guidelines.

Homestore.com, a business on Russell Ranch Road in the Westlake North portion of the city, earlier this year introduced a 50 square-foot sign proposal to the city council.

Current signage requirements dictated that no monument sign should exceed 35 square feet.

Homestore officials fought for their proposal, explaining to councilmembers that anything smaller than 50 square feet would be out of proportion with the company’s large building.

Westlake Village officials were, however, afraid of setting a precedent on grounds that the city would be inundated with requests for larger signs.

City Councilwoman Betty De Santis objected that the city might eventually resemble Ventura Boulevard in San Fernando Valley––a cluttered street of retail signs––if the city didn’t stand firm on its signage laws.

Eventually, the city accepted a bigger monument sign proposal for the Homestore building––but with limitations. Homestore.com was approved for its larger sign, but if another tenant moves into the building (currently occupied exclusively by Homestore), then the new tenant wouldn’t necessarily be approved for a sign the same size.

Mayor Mark Rutherford told councilmembers during the Homestore.com sign-application process that individual signage standards should be set for the future. The council agreed that Westlake North is a separate area, consisting of only corporate businesses and no homes. Therefore it seemed logical, they said, for the city to adopt specific standards for Westlake North.

"It’s a preliminary thing right now," Rutherford said. Last week, the city’s land use committee discussed possible Westlake North signage standards. Rutherford said it was brainstorming only; nothing specific was set in stone.

"(We want) to get input from the landowners," Rutherford said. He explained that more discussion is necessary and that a specific proposal for the council should be coming in August.

The new standards would likely go into effect this fall, Rutherford said.