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Subcommittee moves transit-advertising policies toward transportation chapter; members raise digital-signage and lighting concerns
Summary
Staff recommended relocating policies about bus-shelter advertising and off-premises signs to the transportation chapter; commissioners discussed First Amendment constraints on content regulation, safety concerns from flashing/bright digital signage and adding dark-sky considerations to lighting policy.
Staff told the subcommittee that several policies related to bus shelters, transit benches and off-premises advertising are a better fit for the transportation chapter because Spokane Transit Authority (STA) is a regional partner and already sets many shelter standards. Kevin Treibot said staff would pass related language to the transportation team for review and potential consolidation.
Legal and practical constraints: Commissioners and staff noted First Amendment limits on regulating advertising content; staff advised policy should focus on design, placement and visual impacts rather than content. Members also raised safety concerns about digital signage, citing speed, brightness and rapid animation as potential driving distractions. Several commissioners asked staff to add policy language encouraging consideration of driver and pedestrian safety and to flag lighting and brightness as implementation issues for the sign and lighting codes.
Lighting and dark-sky concerns: The subcommittee discussed pedestrian-scaled lighting and the need to avoid glare or lighting that extends beyond the site. Commissioners asked staff to add dark-sky or light-pollution language so implementation can consider animal impacts, nighttime glare and the public interest in preserving dark skies.
Next steps: staff will forward bus-shelter and off-premises advertising language to the chapter 4 (transportation) team, consider adding policy text on safety concerns from digital signage, and include dark-sky and glare considerations in lighting-related policy language. The sign code and lighting code will handle technical regulation during implementation.
