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Commission backs UDO change to permit electronic message signs in Arts District
Summary
The Planning Commission approved UDO Amendment No. 77 to allow electronic message boards in the Arts District subject to standards adopted in 2021; any proposed sign would require separate Planning Commission approval.
The Independence Planning Commission on Sept. 9 approved UDO Amendment No. 77 to allow electronic message boards in the Arts District, subject to the city’s existing electronic message–sign standards established in 2021 and with a requirement that individual signs return to the commission for specific approval.
Planning staff explained that the Arts District code originally prohibited electronic messaging signs when the UDO for the district was adopted in 2010. Since the city updated electronic-message standards in 2021, staff said, modern sign technology and more detailed regulation on brightness and flashing reduce the traffic and visual concerns that motivated the original prohibition.
‘‘Currently, in the Arts District, electronic messaging signs are prohibited,’’ staff said, adding that the amendment would permit such signs while requiring a Planning Commission review for any specific proposal to ensure compliance with the city’s 2021 sign standards. Commissioners discussed the district’s artistic character and the desire to modernize while protecting pedestrians and traffic safety.
No public opposition was recorded during the hearing. The commission voted 7–0 in favor of UDO Amendment No. 77; staff said any future electronic-message sign proposals in the Arts District would come before the commission for site-specific review and to confirm compliance with luminance and other technical restrictions set out in city code.
