Businesses in Old Ashburn may soon be able to assert their uniqueness more visibly. After several small businesses were required to take down signs, Supervisor Lori Waters (R-Broad Run) began a campaign to loosen restrictions on signs in Village Conservation Overlay Districts across the county.
Most of the districts lie in the heart of rural Loudoun, but Old Ashburn presents a distinct challenge with its handful of specialty shops just yards from strip malls. Several owners have been required to take down signs after exceeding the maximum allowed, which is two.
Having just two signs is a challenge for Old Ashburn businesses, according to the owners. At the Beekeeper's Cottage, which specializes in romantic interior design, a cluster of old trees shields the store's facade from passing cars. Allowing the store to advertise closer to the road would help more than the business, said co-owner Nancy Hilliard.
"We would definitely be able to keep our sales up, and the more we sell, the more sales tax revenue we generate for the county," Hilliard said.
The Beekeeper's Cottage had several signs before receiving a warning from county inspectors. Now, it has two, plus one that simply announces "Open."
SUPERVISOR WATERS' GOAL is to work with small business owners to create a sign ordinance that would allow "classy, tasteful" signs to "keep the character of the village," she said.
Waters worried that strict ordinance enforcement was sending the wrong message to Old Ashburn owners. "It's not promoting a healthy business environment and demonstrating to many small businesses that we want them to stay in the county," she said.
Waters plans to meet with affected business owners in the coming weeks in order to craft a sign package. "I really would like the ideas to come from them first," she said.
The board will decide at its July 20 business meeting whether to continue to enforce the sign ordinance while a new one is being discussed, according to Zoning Administrator Melinda Artman.