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Planning Commission approves sign-code amendments that remove political‑sign content rules, clarify parkway and temporary signs
Summary
On Sept. 18, 2025, the Sierra Madre Planning Commission unanimously approved Municipal Code text amendment 25‑03 to Chapter 17.72 (Signs). The changes add definitions for “parkway” and “right of way,” remove content‑based rules singling out political/election signs, and revise temporary‑sign and spacing provisions; staff will return with a clearer
The Sierra Madre Planning Commission on Sept. 18, 2025, voted unanimously to approve Municipal Code text amendment 25‑03 amending Chapter 17.72 (Signs) of Title 17 (Zoning) of the Sierra Madre Municipal Code.
The amendment adds definitions for “parkway” and “right of way,” removes separate code sections that singled out political and election signs, and revises provisions on temporary signs, spacing and where signs may be placed. The commission asked staff to return with a clarified definition of signs “not public facing.”
Deputy City Attorney (staff) told the commission the removal of the political/election sections responds to constitutional legal risk. “Restrictions on speech that are content based are presumptively unconstitutional and are subject to strict scrutiny, which is a really high threshold to reach,” the deputy city attorney said, explaining that the city’s prior language that singled out political content exposed the city to legal challenge.
Under the approved changes, political and election signs will no longer be governed by separate, content‑specific rules; they will remain subject to the city’s general sign regulations and the blanket prohibition on placing signs in the public right of way unless otherwise allowed. The amendment includes a staff‑proposed definition of parkway as “the portion of the right of way between the traveled roadway and sidewalk or where there is no sidewalk, that portion of the right of way between the traveled roadway and the private property line,” and adds medians to the examples of parkway features.
Commissioners debated several operational details during deliberations. The commission agreed to remove language that required temporary signs to be spaced 10 feet apart, while retaining a requirement that signs not be placed within 5 feet of a shared property line. Commissioners discussed, but did not add, a separate numeric limit on the count of signs on a parcel; staff explained the code already limits signage by aggregate area rather than by count. The temporary‑sign provisions discussed include an event provision that requires removal of event signs within 10 days after the event.
Commissioners also asked staff to clarify language that had referred to signs that are “not public facing.” At the close of the item the commission requested staff return with a clear definition so the commission could confirm whether certain inward‑facing art or non‑commercial installations in commercial parkway areas would remain allowed or would be prohibited under the revised text.
The planning commission's action on 25‑03 was taken at the meeting and the motion carried unanimously. Commissioners also noted that city council had directed staff to prepare the revisions and that council members complimented the planning commission’s subcommittee for its work on the changes.
Next steps: staff will produce a revision that incorporates the direction given at the Sept. 18 meeting — including adding medians to the parkway definition, removing the 10‑foot spacing requirement between temporary signs, retaining a 5‑foot separation from shared property lines, and returning with a definition of “not public facing” — and will report back to the commission.
