Size does matter to the Oxford Village Council – at least when it comes to signs.

In a 3-2 vote last week, council shot down a recommendation from the planning commission to amend the sign ordinance to increase the maximum allowable area for a freestanding sign in the Central Business (C-1) and General Business (C-2) zoning districts from 24 square feet to 32 square feet.

Voting to reject the recommendation were village President Sue Bossardet and council members Erik Dolan and Dave Bailey.

“While there’s a need to be business-friendly, signage shouldn’t be the only methodology a business utilizes to get its (name) out there,” Dolan said.

Council members Maureen Helmuth and Tom Kennis favored the size increase.

“There’s already signs this size in our community,” Kennis said.

Helmuth, who also serves on the planning commission, explained the recommendation was “based on numerous requests from businesses to have a larger sign” or “bring (bigger) signs with them” from other locations.

Whenever a business wants a sign that’s bigger than 24 square feet, they have to apply for a special use permit from the planning commission.

“We probably have eight (requests) a year,” said Helmuth, who noted the “magic number” for applicants seems to be 32 square feet.

These requests are often granted. The last one was on April 18 when planning commissioners approved a special use permit for a 32-square-foot sign for Edward’s Chiropractic, located at 142 S. Washington St. The business had moved from its location in the township and wanted to bring its existing sign to the village.

“I can almost go downtown and pick out the ones who requested larger signs and if . . . .we’re going to grant them anyway, we might as well just make it (32 square feet),” Helmuth said.

But she believes the line should be drawn there.

“In my opinion, if we go to 32, that’s it. We’re done,” Helmuth said.

“There’s always a request for a larger sign and we do have to put a stop to it . . . before we’re all billboarded out,” she noted.

Dolan questioned the planning commission’s granting of waivers.

“If the standard is already in place, why do we continue to make amendments and special allowances anyways?” he asked.

“People always have a reason,” Helmuth replied. “I don’t always agree with the reason. I don’t always vote yes, but they always have a reason. Some of them are good reasons.”

That being said, Helmuth noted, “The planning commission, I think, has also come to a consensus that this is it, we’re done (at 32 square feet).”

Chuck Schneider, a Hadley Township resident who owns numerous properties along M-24 in the village, defended the proposed size increase.

“I personally went to every building in this community and measured their signs,” he told council. “Part of the rationale (for the size increase) is we already have a number of signs that are 32 (square feet) or more, so the new people who are coming in are at a disadvantage because . . . they’re . . . not able to be competitive with their neighbor who may have a much larger sign.”

Schneider noted the township’s sign ordinance is “way more liberal” than the village’s.

Dolan pointed out the village is much, much smaller than the township and therefore has a “significantly more dense presentation of signage.” He explained there are areas in the village where the signage is so ubiquitous “that it’s utterly ridiculous.”

“While I do believe in being business-friendly, I personally, speaking as a taxpayer, don’t want to live in a community that is one strip long, for the most part, and is essentially nothing but a billboard,” he said. “What I would prefer is that we have a significantly more intense monitoring of the signage and an enforcement of the ordinance.”

Instead of “relaxing” the ordinance, Dolan would “prefer” to have the village “adhere” to it and “put a stop to” the deviations.

“I don’t believe that the additional square footage is going to result in the survival or failure of business,” he said. “And I frankly don’t believe we have that much business competition on the strip right now. While I respect (Schneider’s) opinion, I disagree with it wholeheartedly.”

Bossardet agreed with Dolan.

She noted “not that long ago,” the village revised its sign ordinance in September 2013 and “everybody said that was the end.” Now, the village is being asked to make more changes.

“We never say (this is) the end,” she said.

“I’ve made no secret of the fact that I don’t want M-24 turning into a billboard downtown or (for) any length of it. So, that’s my rationale (for opposing the size increase),” Bossardet noted.

On the other side, Kennis called it “ridiculous” for council to reject all the time and effort the planning commission put into formulating this recommendation.

“(To deny it) shows that we’re not business-friendly and I don’t understand it,” he said.

Dolan explained that as a councilman, he’s “concerned about” the “taxpayers who live in this community, not necessarily, the ones that generate revenue from this community and then leave.”

While he respects the work of the planning commission, Dolan believes the proposed sign ordinance change was “for the most part” an attempt to satisfy “about five individuals who are profit-driven as opposed to the residents of this community.”

“This issue continues to come up over and over because you have the same individuals appealing over and over to the planning commission and you have businesses that the village does not hold accountable to the standard that is in place now,” he said.

“This is not about being business-friendly. This is about kowtowing to the interests of a couple individuals and I think now is the time to draw the line because it’s been drawn before and if we don’t draw it (again) now, it’s going to be encroached upon again and again and again. Take a look at Lapeer Rd. coming into the village and it is already nothing but a series of billboards.”

To further illustrate his point, Dolan noted that 32 square feet is the size of a standard sheet of plywood.

“I would ask everyone here, would you prefer to have a sheet of plywood (on) every single piece of property lining Lapeer Rd. with a name and an address and an arrow pointing (to) the business?” he said.

Schneider told Dolan, “I resent your comment about taxes” and informed everyone that he pays approximately $100,000 annually.

“So, don’t tell me about taxes,” he said.