Why does it take 6 months to get a sign permit in L.A.? After the initial euphoria of designing six different versions of a neon sign for Stumptown Coffee at 806 S. Santa Fe Avenue in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles, the hard slog of getting the sign approved through Building and Safety and the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) began. That the client chose the simplest of the designs I presented, while disappointing, did not make getting a sign permit from the City simple. It took six months and cost $2,000. I foolishly opted for their $629 10-day expediting service which ended up taking 2 months. No wonder businesses are leaving Los Angeles for Arizona, Nevada and Texas. I wonder how much income was lost by Stumptown by not having a sign for almost a year. I’ve seen businesses spend tens of thosands of dollars building out the interior of their locations without bothering to spend much on the exterior. Many close after a year. As architect S. Charles Lee (who designed many movie palaces) said: “The show starts on the sidewalk.”
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 05:17:36 +0000