@KingsIslandPR just Tweeted that they are working on the sign for "more visual content"

Check out the photo here.

This is awesome!

It's a sign!

Terp, always looking for signs.

It'll be interesting to see what the upgrade will be. I imaging it'll be the same monochrome - just with graphics. From what I understand, the Ohio DOT doesn't allow that type of sign near most roads, but some companies opt to pay the fine in order to have/keep their signs. Maybe Kings Island will go with a color design, but that's a lot more expensive.

More pics for y'all soon, uploading to my computer atm

Can't wait to see it once it's finished!

I was in Mason on business last week and noticed that the sign wasn't on. I guess some back-haul stuff started a few days ago.

It'll be interesting to see what the upgrade will be. I imaging it'll be the same monochrome - just with graphics. From what I understand, the Ohio DOT doesn't allow that type of sign near most roads, but some companies opt to pay the fine in order to have/keep their signs. Maybe Kings Island will go with a color design, but that's a lot more expensive.

The fine must not be that expensive, as it seems every business on US 250 in Erie county has one. Though perhaps being near an interstate may change things.

Maybe it will be like a Jumbo-tron! That would really be cool!

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign

blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind.

Signs, signs, everywhere a sign.

I felt like Terp just now and it was fabulous.

Wow I was beat to it...I have never felt so defeated. You gotta post fast here!

I stuck my hair (Snickers) up under my hat (Snickers again) and said "Imagine that...."

And the sign said "long-haired freaky people need not apply".

It'll be interesting to see what the upgrade will be. I imaging it'll be the same monochrome - just with graphics. From what I understand, the Ohio DOT doesn't allow that type of sign near most roads, but some companies opt to pay the fine in order to have/keep their signs. Maybe Kings Island will go with a color design, but that's a lot more expensive.

It depends on if the road is an ODOT road, or a county or local road. Obviously, I-71 is an ODOT road. They do not want things that will be distracting to drivers on the interstate. In fact, many of the new electronic billboards that have been popping up have faced intense scrutiny from DOTs. They essentially have been forced to have multiple static ads. They cannot have animated graphics, if they are within a certain distance of the road. I do believe that there is an animated sign attached to the side of US Bank Arena in downtown Cincinnati that is visible when one is travelling from I-71 north (when coming from Kentucky, or getting on at third Second Street in downtown) and getting onto I-471 South. Granted, its not directly visible from all directions of traffic on I-71 there. But it is certainly close to the highway. There are also a few color digital signs off of I-275 over by 275 and 75. One is for MicroCenter, and the other is for Gilkey Window I think. It is a window company, I just can`t remember the name of the window company.

Boy that was a long winded response.

I still remember the old sign, that was blown over in the storm by straight line winds.

If you drive north on I-71 near Wilmington, OH, the R&L Carriers has a colorful sign in front of their operations. Is the height restriction still in place that Mason put into place after the original sign was blown down?

The top of the sign (the part that was trianularish and said Kings Island) was taken off (either yesterday or early this morning) and was sitting on the ground this morning. The electronic signage was still up in the air (as of 8:00 this morning)

The Horseshoe Casino has the sign and all the Las Vegas lighting right off I-71 too. Plus all of the television-like billboards on I 471 South.

...and the sign said "anybody caught trespassing will be shot on sight, So I jumped the fence and I yelled at the house "HEY!" (BANG! BANG!)"

funniest audio on the Bob and Tom Show.

I'm hoping we see some color coming soon!

The Horseshoe Casino has the sign and all the Las Vegas lighting right off I-71 too. Plus all of the television-like billboards on I 471 South.

...and the sign said "anybody caught trespassing will be shot on sight, So I jumped the fence and I yelled at the house "HEY!" (BANG! BANG!)"

funniest audio on the Bob and Tom Show.

Horse Shoe is a perfect example. They spent a long time working with various groups to maximize what exactly they were allowed to build. Obviously they settled on a brightly colored sign with a small spinning horse shoe and no other "moving" parts.

Yes, I could see moving parts very distracting and that could cause an accident, especially if its moving parts go towards the freeway. Flashing lights can be distracting if they are flashing like popping cameras...so it's probably a good thing to set these types of limitations.

It'll be interesting to see what the upgrade will be. I imaging it'll be the same monochrome - just with graphics. From what I understand, the Ohio DOT doesn't allow that type of sign near most roads, but some companies opt to pay the fine in order to have/keep their signs. Maybe Kings Island will go with a color design, but that's a lot more expensive.

Yes and No. Read the Highway Beautification Act. A MAJOR exception to the law is "on-premise" signs, meaning that if the sign is on the owner's property, it is exempt from all the restrictions that billboards and signs (both static and LED) must abide by on the highways. The fines you are referring to are imposed by the Feds and amount to a 10% reduction in that state's Transportation funds for each year the sign is not remedied. Since KI's sign is clearly within its borders, it can do whatever it wants with it. The technology has gotten cheaper as of late, so what once would cost millions now costs in the low-mid 6 figures.

That is not to say that state and local zoning regulations and laws and ordinances would not apply...

I could see Mason or Warren Co regulating the extent of the sign or the graphics. Maybe the laws have changed.

OEL display of sorts maybe? Like most of you have said, something that shows color graphics? Maybe on the caliber of that you see before you enter the causeway at Cedar Point?

I think it would be pretty cool to see something like that. But also like some of you have mentioned, the laws in place may be an issue.

I feel like I'm going to law school all over again...

So many laws...

Laws, laws, everywhere a law.

Zoning regulations do not need lawyers to understand. Just as long as architects (and those studying for the Architect Registration Exam), and those that need to understand them, can comprehend the requirements. And yes, zoning requirements do regulate the square footage of signage allowed. Sometimes they even regulate it to the square inch!

Zoning regulations do not need lawyers to understand. Just as long as architects (and those studying for the Architect Registration Exam), and those that need to understand them, can comprehend the requirements. And yes, zoning requirements do regulate the square footage of signage allowed. Sometimes they even regulate it to the square inch!

Okay Mr Architect Fancypants. You just volunteered yourself to look up the law and translate it for everyone else in the class.

Technically, I am not an architect yet. I need to pass five more tests before I can call myself that. I am taking one more of those exams on Monday, so I will be one step closer to being an architect. My current job title is architectural designer. Ask and you shall receive. See below, and try and enjoy reading it. Some zoning codes can be rather tedious to read.

However, I will offer up some information on it. Kings Island is in the City of Mason. The City of Mason website is here: http://www.imaginemason.org/city-government/legislation/codified-ordinances.cfm Their zoning code can be found here: http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Ohio/mason_oh/cityofmasonohiocodeofordinances?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:mason_oh You will need to navigate to Part 11: Planning and Zoning, and then to Title 5: Zoning Districts. From there, you must navigate to B-4 Commercial Recreation Districts, which includes mechanical rides and attractions as one of its permitted uses. In this section it states that

The maximum building height for all principal permitted uses within 200 feet of a right-of-way shall be 40 feet.

It also states that all signs within 200 feet of the right of way must conform to Chapter 1187: Sign Regulations. It states the following requirements:

Size. The total area of the freestanding sign shall not exceed one square foot per lineal foot of lot-frontage, not to exceed 500 square feet.

C. Height. The height of a freestanding sign a B-4 District shall not exceed 12 feet in height for each 1,000 lineal feet of lot frontage not to exceed 84 feet in height.

Elsewhere in the code, it states the prohibited signs include:

-LED and electronic message boards

-All blinking, flashing or intermittent lighting

Those were the only types of prohibited signs that I saw that were applicable. However, as with all zoning regulations, the property owners can go for a variance in order to get something approved that the zoning code says is not allowed. We are going through this process right now for one of the projects I am working on in another municipality.

I know I started off saying I wasn`t go into details, but I got on a roll and just couldn`t help myself. Not to mention, some of the stuff on my ARE test on Monday involves zoning codes. So this in a way is a little bit of studying for me. I hope I totally didn`t more people to death.

I thought it was a good read and not boring. It sure beats trying to go through thousands of lines of computer code to fine the bug causing the program not to run as designed.