Riverwoods planners push to unify storefront sign rules after staff photos show widespread inconsistencies

At a recent meeting of the Village of Riverwoods Plan Commission, members reviewed staff photographs and discussed aligning signage rules for the Shops of Riverwoods and Colonial Court after staff said current signs vary widely and many appear to violate the village sign code.

Director Witt presented photographs of storefronts and the applicable code language, saying he "really wanted to display the disparity between signs" and walked the commission through where existing storefront and window signs appear to exceed the standards in the Shops of Riverwoods special use permit and the village sign ordinance. Witt said the code limits permanent window signs and cited section 12-4-1B, noting that "window sign can be no greater than 2 square feet." He recommended the commission start with the Shops and then consider whether the same criteria should apply to Colonial Court.

Why it matters: commissioners said inconsistent application and limited enforcement have left a visible, ongoing problem for the village’s main retail clusters. The discussion…