Planning commission reviews proposed shopping‑center and campus signage plan, including 10‑acre threshold and limits on electronic signs

City of Littleton planning staff presented a draft “shopping center and campus signage plan” to the Planning Commission at a study session, proposing an administrative permit process for large, multi‑parcel shopping centers and campus‑style developments and new size and illumination limits intended to promote visual consistency.

The proposal would apply to multi‑parcel sites of at least 10 acres in specified zone districts and would allow a single, multi‑parcel monument or pylon sign at development entrances while restricting most individual parcel freestanding signs to monument style. Staff also proposed changes to wall‑sign calculations in designated corridor areas, a 200‑square‑foot cap on large wall signs, and a rule that electronic message centers be prohibited except for gas‑price displays.

Why it matters: the changes are intended to provide a predictable, administrative process for large campuses and shopping centers, encourage consistent aesthetics across multi‑tenant developments and reduce visual clutter on key commercial corridors. Commissioners pressed staff about thresholds, enforcement, and design details and asked staff to return to the commission with visuals and clearer thresholds before a public hearing.

Planning staff said the draft borrows most technical standards from existing CMU standards. “What we're proposing currently is shopping center and campus signage plan,” the staff member said, describing intent to “create process that fits, and enhances the current code…