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Bothell holds public hearing on sign‑code updates; real‑estate industry asks to preserve standard yard‑sign sizes
Summary
City planners opened and closed a public hearing April 15 on phase‑one updates to the municipal sign code intended to comply with Supreme Court rulings on content‑based regulation. A representative of the Seattle‑King County Realtors asked the city to preserve commonly used yard‑sign dimensions for real‑estate signs.
Bothell — The City Council opened and closed a public hearing April 15 on phase‑one amendments to chapters 12.22 and 12.64 of the Bothell Municipal Code, a first set of sign‑code updates staff said are intended to remove content‑based distinctions and ensure compliance with recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent.
Planner Megan Rigney told the council the changes are phase one of two and that the draft findings and recommended code revisions were in the agenda packet. The council held the hearing as required by the municipal code; no action was taken at the meeting.
Public comment
Randy Banneker, speaking on behalf of the Seattle‑King County Realtors, supported the proposed code update while asking a minor technical change: preserve the industry’s commonly used on‑site and open‑house sign dimensions. Banneker said typical open‑house board signs are 24 by 24 inches and yard‑arm on‑premises for‑sale signs are about 24 by 30 inches, and he asked the city to retain allowances that approximate those sizes rather than imposing a tighter two‑square‑foot limit.
Next steps
Staff told the council they will include hearing testimony and analyses in the packet when the code revisions return for formal adoption. Councilmembers asked staff to follow up on the real‑estate industry comment and to provide a written analysis comparing the proposed size limits with industry standard sign sizes.
Why it matters: The update is intended to bring the municipal code into compliance with constitutional limits on content‑based regulation of signs. The industry comment highlights how municipal size limits can affect common business and residential signage; staff said they will return with clarifying analysis.
