Planning board recommends sign-code changes to allow emergency banners, adjust monument sizes and clarify measurement rules

The St. Pete Beach Planning Board on April 21, 2025 voted 5-0 to find Ordinance 2025-10 consistent with the comprehensive plan and to recommend the sign-code amendments to the City Commission with the modifications discussed at the meeting.

Planning staff said the package is intended in part to make it easier for businesses to re‑open after storms while preserving limits on permanent signage. Brandon, planning staff, said staff “tried to address the input of the planning board” and described several concrete changes: a purpose statement addressing wildlife protection, a definition of “lawful message,” expanded temporary permissions for banners, clarified monument‑sign measurements, a prohibition on overly wide sign faces, and an exemption from abandonment rules during active storm‑repair work.

The draft adds two additional temporary-banner permissions beyond the existing rule that allows banners for 30 days after issuance of a business tax receipt: (1) a temporary banner for businesses that begin operating after a local state of emergency (it need not be attached to the building but must be secured), and (2) a temporary banner in the interim between issuance of a permit for an attached permanent sign and installation of that sign. The ordinance also clarifies that well‑maintained signage is exempt from abandonment enforcement while a property is being restored under an active building permit and for 90 days after work is complete, and that exemption may be applied retroactively to the date of the event that prompted the emergency declaration.

On monument signs, the draft preserves current allowances and consolidates them to reduce staff discretion: the code continues to permit a 60‑square‑foot monument sign for a standalone building and—where a property currently could have two 60‑square‑foot monument signs if it has more than 400 feet of frontage—those two signs may instead be combined into a single 120‑square‑foot monument sign. Staff said those combined signs would still be sited at least 10 feet outside the front setback and would be limited to large developments.

The ordinance also corrects an earlier unintended change so that attached signs are not limited to the second story; attached signs may exceed the second story but cannot be placed above the fascia or parapet. To avoid a loophole that could create large horizontal signs, the draft prohibits sign face widths that exceed a 2:1 width‑to‑height ratio (for example, a 4‑foot‑tall sign could be no wider than 8 feet).

Vice Chair Angelides described overlapping language in the code about pedestrian and traffic safety and suggested consolidating rather than duplicating similar objectives. Angelides said, “I guess if we were gonna take 1 out, I would take out C,” arguing the redundancy could be clarified by appending language rather than keeping two separate provisions.

Board members asked about artwork and other district‑specific standards; staff said artwork concerns fall outside this districtwide amendment and could be addressed later through division‑level revisions. Staff also noted that some minor reference corrections identified by board members would be carried forward into the version presented to the City Commission.

The planning board’s recommendation does not adopt the ordinance; it forwards a finding of consistency and a recommendation to the City Commission. The motion passed on a 5‑0 roll call. The ordinance will proceed to the City Commission for final consideration.

Votes at a glance: Ordinance 2025‑10 — motion to find consistent and recommend approval to the City Commission with agreed modifications; vote 5‑0; motion carries.