Franklin staff proposes temporary‑flag options; board leans toward flexible dates with limits

City planning staff presented draft options to amend Franklin’s zoning ordinance signage chapter to address temporary flags and small stick flags at a June 2025 work session, and aldermen signaled a preference for flexible temporary‑flag dates with limits rather than a strict holiday list.

Joel Aguilera, a planner in the city’s Planning and Sustainability Department, reviewed the options staff had developed after a March joint conceptual workshop. The options were grouped into three categories: duration (how long temporary flags may be displayed), quantity (how many temporary flags in addition to the existing three permanent flags allowed per lot), and treatment of small stick flags (the small garden‑size flags often used for holidays and fundraisers).

Why it matters: the city’s sign regulations currently allow up to three flags to fly year‑round per lot; a recent notice of violation to a homeowner prompted broader discussion over whether the ordinance should exempt small removable flags or allow homeowners more temporary expression without creating visual clutter or enforcement burdens.

Staff presented three duration choices: 1) no change (three flags year‑round); 2) federal holidays plus four floating events with a 3‑day‑before to 2‑days‑after window and a 90‑day annual cap; or 3) a flexible‑dates approach that allows up to 60 days per calendar year, with no single display longer than seven consecutive days. During discussion several aldermen favored option 3’s flexible dates and suggested matching a 90‑day cap to the city’s existing temporary‑sign rules to keep enforcement consistent.

For quantity, staff proposed an illustrative option of five additional temporary flags (for a total of eight per property) but left a third option blank to solicit board input. Multiple aldermen said setting a single numeric cap was difficult and signaled interest in keeping the question open or applying different rules for commercial and residential properties.

On small stick flags, staff said municipalities vary: some cities exempt very small flags (for example, under 6 square feet) from the sign ordinance altogether; others permit them only around specific holidays. Several aldermen said small stick flags are not normally an enforcement issue but asked staff to propose a measured approach — for example, an exemption threshold by size or a holiday‑related allowance — rather than a blanket exemption that could create visual clutter.

Public comment and board reaction: a number of residents urged the board to protect traditional American flag displays. One speaker who identified herself as a neighbor urged the board not to “limit our flag” and said the American flag is different from other flags; another speaker noted that retired and gold‑star families value the ability to display flags on non‑federal dates. Several board members said they would not want to restrict school or nonprofit fundraising flag displays that routinely use small flags in public rights‑of‑way and repeatedly asked staff to consider a residential/commercial distinction.

Next steps: staff said it will present refined draft language to the joint conceptual workshop later in the week and return an ordinance amendment for formal review. The board asked staff to model a residential/commercial split, include a prohibition on flags encroaching into public rights‑of‑way or another person’s property, and to add provisions addressing flag condition and appropriate size/proportion relative to a pole or mounting point.

Ending: The board asked staff to bring a draft ordinance that reflects flexible temporary‑dates with limits, clear guidance for small stick flags, options for commercial/residential differences, and explicit language preventing encroachment into public right‑of‑way.