SANTA PAULA : Sign Maker Says He Will Appeal Denial

A sign maker said he will appeal the Santa Paula Planning Commission’s ruling that he cannot install a pole sign in front of a Harvard Boulevard retail center, saying the denial violates his First Amendment rights.

The proposed sign would have, after a slight modification in size, met city ordinance specifications. But a majority of the Planning Commission decided against allowing the sign, saying they favored monument-style signs common in Thousand Oaks.

Marvin Tate, owner of Vital Signs, said that pole signs already exist along Harvard Boulevard and that his project is being unfairly singled out. He said he will appeal to the City Council.