The Chain Gang

Glendale Seeks to Shrink Signage at Fast Food Restaurants

McDonald's: The Merrill Lynch of fast food justice?
McDonald’s: The Merrill Lynch of fast food justice? Photo: Messrcn via Flickr

The good people of Glendale are starting a fight (for their rights) to shrink the size of signage that advertises fast food restaurants and other businesses, in an attempt to enforce the San Fernando Valley’s Title 30 Municipal Code. Adopted in 1995, the code dictates the size, management, and placement of advertisements and signage displayed by businesses.

HuffPo reports that the code has been flagrantly abused, neglected, and disrespected even, by companies operating in the northeast city, a majority of them fast food outlets. Now local legislators are attempting to reign them in, while McDonald’s will probably give the whole crackdown the slip anyway.

Targeting the 60 or so pole-mounted signs that are currently breaking the 38-page code by standing larger than what’s allowed, the Glendale City Council is upping its pressure on the rogue restaurants, signing legislature that confirms its tougher stance (naturally, bureaucrats need to file a formal consensus just to share an opinion). The Council has warned the rebellious chains that they would have to comply with the city codes in the next two years or face a scolding.

However, in a microcosm of the problems plaguing our country at large, the big businesses are wriggling out of the forced compliance, as the new initiative currently only cracks down on businesses with plans to make signage changes, while existing businesses with no plan to change what their signage says will not be forced to uproot existing signs, leading to accusations that McDonald’s won’t ever have to take down its glaring red and yellow monstrosity, while some hard-working lady with a small law office will.

Meanwhile the Glendale City Council has also decided to act a little snooty about an issue that could easily gain the support of citizens city-wide, with one member telling The L.A. Times, “These signs are something you see in East L.A.” Well, la-di-da, Dukes and Duchesses of Glendale! Is someone just bitter that they didn’t successfully acquire that giant Arby’s hat or what?

Glendale goes after oversized fast-food restaurant signs [LAT]
Glendale-Fast Food Dispute: Southern California City Tries To Make Restaurant Signs Smaller [HuffPo]

Glendale Seeks to Shrink Signage at Fast Food Restaurants