It appears that the Dunwoody’s dinosaur saga may be coming to an end, albeit with some conditions.
At the upcoming Dec. 11 Dunwoody City Council meeting, the panel was to discuss a text amendment to an existing sign ordinance that would allow residences to erect inflatables for up to 60 consecutive days, with certain restrictions.
However, one stipulation of the modification is that the inflatables must be taken down after that 60-day period for 60 days before they can be reinstalled. The inflatable figures also cannot be more than 20 feet high, 20 feet long, or 20 feet wide.
A memo submitted to the council by Paul Leonhardt, the Deputy Director of Community Development, said the text amendment was in response to complaints “about several inflatables in a residential yard, flagged that these are covered by the existing prohibition on animated signs, and subsequently issued a notice of violation.”
The yard in question, owned by Lisa and Cesar Torres, has for several years featured themed- inflatable dinosaurs that were lauded as a beacon of hope to many Dunwoody residents. A single emailed complaint forced the city to cite the Torres family for the installations, but the city twice delayed the deadline for their demise while they considered changes to the ordinance.
The solution, it appears, is to make a inflatables a separate category under the animated signs category, according to the memo.
“The proposed regulations allow residents in the R- and RA-districts (Single-dwelling Residential) to display animated signs for up to 60 consecutive days, subject to several restrictions, including maximum dimensions, property line setbacks, and safety standards,” Leonhardt’s memo said. “Animated signs on quasi-public and institutional properties remain prohibited. No permit would be required, similar to typical yard signs.”
The memo states that the Dunwoody Planning Commission approved the amendment 5-1, with Erika Harris voting against the motion because she wanted “quasi-public and institutional uses, such as places of worship to display animated signs.”
Lisa Torres said she believes the ordinance celebrates the “incredible unity Dunwoody demonstrated because and for our dinos.”
“Any consideration for them to be allowed to stay is going to be well received,” she said. “My heart is full of hope and gratitude. We turned a complaint into a display of good neighborliness, and we showed up for each other.”
