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Council approves first reading to move sign regulations into UDC; staff outlines major changes
Summary
Council voted to approve on first reading a rewrite of the city's sign code (Chapter 6 of the UDC) consolidating and updating prior rules; staff highlighted allowances for digital on-premise signs, new charts, billboard spacing, and a changed variance appeal path.
City planning staff presented a comprehensive rewrite of sign regulations to be added as Chapter 6 of the Unified Development Code, replacing Chapter 82 of the code of ordinances. After a detailed presentation and council questions, the council approved the ordinance on first reading.
Pam, planning staff, said the rewrite consolidates existing rules, adds definitions and charts to simplify interpretation, and adds allowances for digital on-premise signage in more contexts while retaining tighter controls near residences and in the downtown historic district. She described a public outreach process that included a July 2024 input session and an online survey that returned 555 responses.
Key changes described by staff included: codified permanent- and temporary-sign charts; allowance for digital monument and pole signs in certain zoning corridors with larger minimum spacing between billboards (staff said survey respondents preferred 3,500-foot spacing on higher-speed corridors); updated monument- and pole-sign definitions and setbacks; clearer rules for projecting signs and roof signs (with limited allowances for channel-letter roof signs); explicit rules for directional signs, athletic scoreboards and inflatable/temporary signs; and a change to the variance process so sign variances go to Planning and Zoning with appeal to City Council.
Council members asked a range of questions about enforcement, the number and placement of temporary ground signs used by subdivisions and real-estate marketing, the allowed size of digital messages in different corridors, and downtown portable/sandwich-board rules. Pam said temporary signs are not grandfathered, enforcement will be required, and downtown portable signs remain allowed daily with different rules outside downtown.
Councilmember Biesenbach moved approval of the ordinance on first reading and Councilmember Keller seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote. The ordinance will proceed to subsequent reading(s) and any implementation work by planning staff.
