Banners Prove Boon to Business

For six months after her yoga studio opened, Drorit Rudin struggled to make ends meet. Agoura Hills Power of Yoga  is tucked away in a mini mall, set back from Thousand Oaks Boulevard, and she worried that potential customers didn't know her business existed.  

Then she decided a colorful sign would help, not knowing she should obtain a city permit first. Within three weeks of displaying her red oval banner streetside, she said, she saw results. After learning that banners were allowed by permit on a temporary basis, she was moved to lobby the city council to extend the ordinance.

"It was the first time I ever made a profit," Rudin said. "I saw a 33 percent increase in just three weeks."

The City Council, at its meeting July 14, approved a renewal of its banner regulations at the recommendation of the Business Task Force and the Economic Development Council. The city will extend the temporary allowance of retail advertising banners for one year to four display periods with a maximum of 10 days per period and 40 days per year. The maximum banner size will  increase from 20 to 30 square feet. 

In light of the struggling national economy's effect on local businesses, beginning Oct. 22, 2008, the City Council approved three separate resolutions allowing each retail business, including restaurants and hotels, to display a temporary advertising banner. Businesses were allowed to display one temporary advertising banner not to exceed 20 square feet. They were also granted a second weekend per month for outdoor sales, to expire in Jan. 31, 2010.

At the request of the Economic Development Commmittee, on May 27, 2010, the Business Task Force discussed whether to extend the temporary display ordinance in the city. Its consensus was to support the banners but the council was unsure.

"I understand why the laws are there, and believe me, I like beautiful things, and I love Agoura Hills," Rudin told the council July 14. "I just don't feel that it would really change it too much, especially when you weigh it against how much it would help business owners in this economic environment."

Anthony Martinez of Power of Home in the Agoura Design Center told the council that the advertising displays had helped to double his walk-in clientele.  "When the council decided to allow temporary banners, we saw an increase," he said at the meeting. Martinez said he feared that although his home furnishings store was visible from the freeway, without banners sales would suffer.

Martinez and his colleagues at Power of Home first entered the banner debate unwittingly. In November 2009, the chain store had banners, balloons and streamers outside to promote Thanksgiving sales. "We were advised that these were not up to code," Martinez said, "as well as some other signage we had in place." 

Soon after, the Agoura Hills Buy Local campaign reached out to tenants in the Agoura Design Center with strategies for local promotion and marketing.

"They mentioned the city of Agoura Hills had recently allowed permits for temporary banners and signs, with restrictions, and all any local business had to do was go to City Hall, apply for the permit and show their sign met the specifications," said Martinez. "We jumped at the opportunity, and saw fantastic results from it."

"How will you know when you don't need [the banners] anymore?" Mayor Pro Tem Harry Schwarz asked Martinez.

Martinez replied that he would make the decision based on customer feedback.

The revised policies will continue until July 14, 2011. At that time, the ordinance will be weighed as a middle ground between limiting signage in an effort to keep Agoura Hills beautiful and helping local business owners weather a deep recession.