ARTIST’S RENDERING— Above is an illustration of the new signage approved for the water wall in front of Borders bookstore. The words “El Paseo Simi” appear to float in front of the water. The photo at right shows the site’s current look. The Simi Valley City Council last week approved a developer’s request to change a city ordinance and allow more signs for major shopping centers.

The council approved a request by David Ghirardelli, developer of the El Paseo Simi center at Tapo Canyon Road and Alamo Street, to change a sign ordinance from allowing one double-faced pole or blade sign at driveway entrances to permitting two signs printed on one side—known as monument signs.

The ordinance applies to shopping centers of 150,000 square feet or more.

City Planner Peter Lyons said the change doesn’t add more sign area. Instead it will allow shopping center owners to become more creative in the signs they install. For example, to prevent the rear side of a monument sign from looking bare, owners usually will landscape it, he said.

Lyons said because so few shopping centers meet the ordinance’s requirement of having a minimum of 150,000 square feet of floor space, very few shopping centers will be affected by the change.

The revised ordinance also will allow Ghirardelli to add a sign about 7 feet tall, reading “El Paseo Simi,” in front of the water wall at Borders book store.

Ghirardelli said the sign had been a design component of the original project, which includes senior apartments on Tapo Canyon Road, residential homes between Alamo Street and Avenida Simi and the commercial center, to identify them as one district. But the original plans called for the letters to be fastened to the water wall. Not wanting to risk problems with the water, Ghirardelli had the plans revised and put them on hold until he could request that the city change the ordinance.

The El Paseo Simi sign will be designed without a visible backing and will be halo-illuminated at night, like the Kohl’s store sign, so that it will appear to float in front of the water. Ghirardelli said since it isn’t a typical sign, he doesn’t expect it to interfere with the ambience of the landscaping and water feature.