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JEFFREY KATZ Ward 3 Santa Ana, CA 92706 May 5, 2025 Santa Ana City Council 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: Item #24 (A-Frame Signs and the Dignity of Our City) Dear Esteemed Members of the Council, Let me start by acknowledging what you already know: governing is hard. Choices aren't always between good and bad; often, they're between "bad" and "oh dear God, what have we done?" Which brings us to the humble, if insidious, A-frame sign. I understand Councilmember Lopez is bringing forth a proposal to allow these signs in designated commercial areas. A generous spirit, no doubt. But I urge you, with great respect and even greater concern, to send this idea back to the drafting board—or preferably, into a tasteful, city-approved recycling bin. Let's begin with the facts. Under our current Municipal Code, A-frame signs are not permitted. (SAMC Section 41-861(1).) Not restricted. Not conditionally allowed. Prohibited. And wisely so. They are, by their very nature, transient, uneven, and chaotic. Like a drunk uncle at a wedding, they never quite know where they belong. They clutter sidewalks, block ADA access, blow over in the wind, and very quickly fall into disrepair—advertising not just a business, but a city that seems no longer to care. More troubling, this proposal comes at a time when Santa Ana is in very real danger of losing the battle for beauty. Drive our corridors and ask yourself: are we closer to Pasadena, or to a place forgotten by design? While other cities beautify, we too often compromise. A-frame signs might seem minor, but symbolically they are huge. They signal that we are willing to sacrifice city character for convenience. That we are content to surrender visual order in favor of visual noise. Santa Ana is not just any city. It is a city of architecture, history, heritage—of murals and missions, not mess. Aesthetics are not trivial here. They are a strategy for identity, for economic