Planning commission backs ordinance to fix signage enforcement, limits lit signs during cruise season

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-0 on March 25 to direct municipal staff to draft a resolution recommending Ordinance 25-01 to the Skagway Assembly. The ordinance would amend Title 19 to repair an unenforceable provision in chapter 19.04, define “internally lit” signs (for example neon and LED), clarify enforcement procedures for sign violations, and (originally) tie permitted sign colors in the historic district to the municipality’s historic paint palette.

The measure matters because the code as written contains circular references that municipal staff said make enforcement impossible; the proposed changes aim to restore an enforceable citation process and create a clear appeals path. During the meeting commissioners also adopted three amendments to the recommendation: a seasonal prohibition on internally lit signs from the first cruise ship to the last cruise ship of the season; a matching prohibition on rope/string/window lights for the same period; and removal of the proposed sign-color restriction from the draft resolution.

Carol Borsey, a liquor‑store owner who addressed the commission during the public hearing, said she relies on several internally lit…