Staff proposes raising blade‑sign maximum to 5 sq ft; commission directs text amendment drafting

Planning staff recommended on Sept. 2 raising the allowable size for blade signs in downtown Clayton from 1 square foot to a 5-square-foot maximum and asked the commission to direct staff to draft a text amendment and ARB guidelines. Staff presented permitting data, photos and public-works input and said the 5-square-foot limit would create consistency across blocks while preserving a path for larger or unique signs through the existing modification process.

Staff member Ryan described findings from a permitting review dating to 2017 that identified 22 permitted blade signs, with an average size of 5.7 square feet (4.25 sq ft after removing two outliers). He told commissioners that sign subdistricts typically had smaller blade signs (about 3.4 sq ft) while signs outside subdistricts averaged about 9.57 sq ft. Ryan said public works recommended that blade signs should not project more than 2 feet into the public right-of-way and should be at least 8 feet above the ground; public works also prefers that signs not encroach into the right-of-way but would accept projections provided there is a use-and-maintenance agreement.

“We previously recommended 5 square feet … I think 5 square feet is a really nice middle ground,” Ryan said, explaining he favored a maximum-sized standard rather than a facade-ratio approach because ratios produced inconsistent and sometimes impractical results across Clayton’s varied building stock. Under the approach described by staff, blade signs could not project more than 2 feet into the public right-of-way, would need a minimum clearance of 8 feet, and would not be permitted above the top of the first floor. Staff also noted that the change would effectively add up to 4 square feet to the total allowable signage calculation for a building, and that applicants could still seek larger or specially shaped signs (for example, a large novelty sign) through the existing sign-modification process.

Commissioners broadly supported the recommendation in discussion: several commissioners said increasing the limit would reduce the need for routine ARB sign-modification applications and help pedestrian visibility; Commissioner Jim Arsenault and others said visual examples and the data supported the change. Commissioners also emphasized the need for a modification path for larger, context-appropriate signs. Staff indicated next steps would be drafting the text amendment and ARB guidelines for ground signs and presenting those drafts to the commission for further review.