[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6678315,"mediaKeyId","2110966-30a9b35aad4787816557227267ad74af","parentId",2110966,"title","Lake County planners present draft sign code rewrite; commission flags content‑neutrality, vehicle signs and illumination for further work","audioSeconds",5232,"startMs",1400000,"endMs",6632000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2110966-30a9b35aad4787816557227267ad74af&start=1400&end=6632","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2110966-30a9b35aad4787816557227267ad74af/thumbnail_1400000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6678315/Lake-County/Colorado/Lake-County-planners-present-draft-sign-code-rewrite-commission-flags-contentneutrality-vehicle-signs-and-illumination-for-further-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6678315-61fcfc8dbef1c8880a8869e46ae80c6c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178582&Signature=cUjEUVT1EedN2scvTE89XCfdmBBoSJ0x8AOYt5DPBg~nbmghEnj-fVer1cuXk2ggc6FMhLf2tiX4V-UYVBuEflicqKCPRxX3o5fP9ojZQOGUv44zuvVjh9xjXxeoVDa4kRtVBCBQ~uz6LkWIs1zfaPMC5F83THWu6MY~xTqlskNgqnCiwmTqbAkv7UjghLF7AjJLCbEzv2WxB384ZFZwyTMavp~zPSaGaTmVjVtnKT7UW69J8ZZn9PL475EjhI17hkq5WzhdMLP1VCZIXuY4rP3WfG5nC6~FQ8-Xr7ZiZw5ymixlO0pDg8~nLpvKVHDu9H9D5KZIJTAXmABieO1keg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lake County","date","2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","article","County planning staff presented a draft replacement of Lake County’s sign code at the Jan. 13 meeting, outlining new categories, size and height limits, illumination rules and prohibited sign types. Staff said the rewrite is intended to be more user‑friendly and to comply with content‑neutral requirements established by court decisions involving signage and speech.

Melissa, planning department staff, told the commission the department researched sign codes from Breckenridge, Buena Vista and Platteville and is seeking legal review to ensure the draft is content neutral. She said the revision uses charts and graphics to simplify standards and that staff extended the sign moratorium to March to allow time for public outreach and legal checks.

Key elements discussed by staff and commission members included:
• Signs that do not require a permit: Staff proposed keeping exemptions for public notices, seasonal decorations, interior window signage (limited to 50% of each window panel) and yard signs, while clarifying size, placement and time limits. The draft currently allows yard signs in residential areas with limits described during discussion; commissioners suggested staff refine time limits to avoid unintended burdens on long‑running real‑estate listings or development marketing.
• Prohibited signs and operational limits: Draft prohibitions discussed include signs in rights‑of‑way, permanently displayed inflatables or animated displays, and vehicular signs used as permanent on‑premises advertising. Staff proposed language allowing motor vehicles with branding to remain when functional, registered and parked behind a principal building; the commission asked staff to tighten definitions to avoid unintended enforcement against routine branded work vehicles such as plumbers’ trucks or utility vehicles.
• Temporary, abandoned and construction signage: Staff described a temporary‑sign framework (examples and maximum durations were discussed) and a 30‑day removal rule for abandoned signs with allowances for cases where removal is physically impracticable; commissioners suggested that 30 days could be too short in some construction or sales contexts and asked staff to consider a clearer “reasonable‑time” standard tied to transaction completion or construction milestones.
• Residential vs. multifamily allowances: The draft distinguishes “site signs/monument signs” for multifamily developments (a larger allowance, e.g., 32 square feet in the draft) and smaller limits for single‑family residences (6 square feet). Commissioners raised concerns about content neutrality (for example, noncommercial or political messages on large multifamily signs) and the potential for large signs to create neighbor disputes; staff emphasized that content cannot be regulated, but dimensional limits can be adjusted.
• Nonresidential sign types, size and height: Staff proposed maximum heights (monument signs around 8 feet; pole/pylon signs up to 15 feet with maximum square footage thresholds) and uniform measurement methods. The commission discussed sightlines, snow‑cover impacts, visual clutter at roadway level and the aesthetic difference between pole signs and monument/column designs; staff said site‑plan review for new development would offer opportunities to consider design and context.
• Illumination and dark‑sky considerations: The draft requires down‑lighting or shielding so light does not spill onto other properties or into the sky, and staff noted a lumen threshold (discussed in the meeting as 1,000 lumens) as an example for specification; commissioners asked staff to verify lumen thresholds, measurement practice (nighttime vs. daytime measurements) and enforcement mechanisms. Staff suggested manufacturers’ specifications and engineered sign plans would be used to ensure compliance and that complaints could trigger secondary review.

Commissioners also asked staff to clarify treatment of mobile vendors and food trucks, directory signs for multi‑tenant properties, nonconforming signs with prior variances (for example, existing high‑impact signs granted variances through the Board of Adjustment), and how to treat permanent banners versus temporary banners. Staff said permanent banners would be prohibited while temporary banners would be allowed for limited durations, with draft language to define temporary uses.

No formal action was taken on the draft code at the meeting; staff said legal review and additional public outreach are planned before staff returns with revisions. The sign moratorium extension remains in effect through March while staff completes revisions and legal checks.

Ending
Staff asked commissioners for additional examples and clarifications so they can refine the draft, then return for further review prior to lifting the moratorium. No ordinance or regulatory text was adopted at the Jan. 13 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lake County CO 01.13.2025 Planning Commission Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","Staff previewed a comprehensive rewrite of the county sign code, highlighting content‑neutral requirements, limits on temporary and vehicle signage, lighting/dark‑sky standards and size/height limits for residential and commercial signs; commissioners asked for clarifications and additional examples before the moratorium lift in March.","taxTitle","Lake County, Colorado","taxId",27576,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6678319,"Lake County planning staff outlines 2025 project calendar, recommends four appointments to commissioners",433,86000,519000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2110966-30a9b35aad4787816557227267ad74af&start=86&end=519","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2110966-30a9b35aad4787816557227267ad74af/thumbnail_86000.jpg","/articles/6678319/Lake-County/Colorado/Lake-County-planning-staff-outlines-2025-project-calendar-recommends-four-appointments-to-commissioners","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6678319-3bd1e89403d00c61deadabbc10604caf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178582&Signature=Lyc1OHVg7ODYMaIbC7W54Gzu~brtSAvuuOmEKzpysxMgLzWkfMxufuD2FAuX6Q0Zl9omgwjaKqymd3JFUsy386Ms6XxiXOei8uMmJqRL-owEFeFEiHu1lWFDSqHayWRyunqrT~c9FzXGsm8OKKQkggAT7nAjfQTrXL6~VSdMJ7vDw2vGRpqhnVYwTdP4dy7Umovcfq2PV9HB-TIbC6yFIB74yr8CImp98brKdbYnnXj-AASZKrICZ3rJgiwo48dAk0EHZwYoJgHhOxuftWYvsqjAS2HqXGPATrgZ7Hgh08gm0Gw~bmOP-k7iQWVJbVJp4RxdrGrPWRGJ7AmV3kZhdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lake County Planning Commission received a broad set of staff updates during its Jan. 13 meeting covering public outreach, transportation and infrastructure studies, pending land‑use applications and department projects. The commission approved minutes from the Dec. 9, 2024 meeting and agreed to forward a set of member appointment recommendations to the Lake County Board of County Commissioners for action on Jan. 24.

Planning department staff described a week of community outreach tied to the comprehensive plan update and a mobility study. Planning staff said the county will hold a Spanish‑language event at Full Circle on Feb. 4, a community kickoff and a community coffee on Feb. 5, and an event at Freight on Feb. 6; staff asked commissioners to prioritize attendance at the Feb. 6 Freight event. Melissa, planning department staff, said the mobility study will examine transportation and mobility issues in Mountain View Village (east and west), the northern corridor north of the 91/24 intersection toward Gateway, the busy Mountain View Drive and Poplar intersection, and potential coordination with CDOT on proposed roundabouts at Highway 24 and 91.

Staff told the commission the mobility analysis also will examine an area around Macquarie and Highway 24 related to a potential expansion at the county landfill and the feasibility of a bypass road to move industrial traffic off the state highway through downtown. Josh (present at the meeting) was identified in discussion as a contact for landfill operations and potential impacts; no formal decisions were made during the meeting.

The commission was told the county has contracted with EPS, Economic & Planning Systems LLC, to research development impact fees and broader infrastructure funding tools. Staff described the work as a study of whether to pursue impact fees for infrastructure, safety, services and housing or to consider alternative funding mechanisms such as use taxes on materials. Staff said the study will examine options tailored to Lake County rather than assume a single model.

Other planning projects noted by staff included Harrison Park master planning (public outreach planned in late January at the public library), design work on a coroner’s facility adjacent to the southern fire station (pending a site‑plan review to come before the commission), and an airport industrial park master‑plan RFP being developed in coordination with tourism and economic development. The department said it hopes the airport industrial park work will produce shovel‑ready options and that joint funding was budgeted for the study.

Land‑use schedule items flagged for the commission included a preliminary plan and PUD for Timber Ranch, scheduled for Feb. 10 (staff asked all members to attend in person for public hearings); a rezone application for Timber Ranch will be heard on Feb. 24. Staff also noted a Fox Creek gravel‑mining application that needs additional intersection and road‑maintenance information, and other pending site plans and a conditional use permit for an accessory dwelling unit.

Staff reminded commission members that, where possible, the department is requesting in‑person attendance for public hearings rather than remote participation, to support applicants and the hearing process. Staff also said they are planning refresher training on quasi‑judicial procedures for new alternate members and invited commissioners to attend a session the county is arranging with the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) if available.

The commission reviewed board‑appointment recommendations staff will present to the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 24: staff recommended reappointing Heather Lind and elevating Jason Ruffo to regular member status, and appointing Ryan Hills (resident near West Park / 16th Street) and Dave Jurich (resident and property owner in Twin Lakes, an engineer by occupation) as alternate members. Staff said these appointments would fill the commission’s seven seats for 2025. The planning commission did not take the appointments as a final vote at the Jan. 13 meeting; staff will present the recommendation to the board on Jan. 24.

Short‑term rentals and backcountry structures were briefly updated: Cece, planning/code staff, reported that the short‑term rental renewal period ended Dec. 31 and that 19 standard licenses were not renewed; staff plan a compliance check in the coming weeks. On backcountry parcels, staff said they issued one backcountry‑structure license in 2024 and have seen steady interest in those parcels; staff are continuing outreach and education about permitted structure types.

Staff also announced that Howard (longtime planning commission member) has tendered his resignation after decades of service and said he is willing to remain until replaced; staff proposed presenting a plaque to mark his service at an upcoming meeting.

Votes at a glance
• Approved minutes from Dec. 9, 2024 (motion to approve made during the meeting; mover/second not specified in the transcript; outcome: approved).

What this means going forward
Staff told the commission the upcoming February hearings (Timber Ranch preliminary plan on Feb. 10; Timber Ranch rezone on Feb. 24) will require in‑person attendance where possible and that many of the department’s outreach events are intended to feed the comprehensive‑plan update later in 2025. No land‑use decisions were taken on applications besides the routine approval of minutes; the department will take the appointment recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 24 for formal action.

Ending note
Staff asked commissioners to notify the office as soon as possible if they cannot attend the Feb. 10 hearing in person and said more information and calendar invites for outreach events will be distributed by email.","Planning staff briefed the Lake County Planning Commission on outreach events, mobility and infrastructure studies, upcoming land‑use hearings and project work; the commission voted to approve minutes and will forward recommended board appointments to the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 24.","actionData","errors"]

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Lake County planners present draft sign code rewrite; commission flags content‑neutrality, vehicle signs and illumination for further work

Lake County planning staff outlines 2025 project calendar, recommends four appointments to commissioners