Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Signage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Draft consolidates sign rules; commission presses for stricter limits on bright electronic signs
Summary
The proposed rewrite centralizes sign rules, moves toward content-neutral regulation, restricts billboards to industrial districts (with grandfathering), and includes illumination limits and dimming requirements for electronic signs; commissioners asked for clearer lumen/color limits and downward-shielded LED requirements.
Article 5 sign provisions presented at the meeting consolidate sign rules in a single chapter, remove content-based distinctions and add illumination, size and location standards.
Consolidation and neutrality: the draft regulates signs visible from roads, parks or residential properties, lists exemptions (public signs, traffic control devices, small directional signs) and prohibits confusing or obstructive signage. Staff said the code will be content-neutral to comply with recent court guidance.
Billboards and nonconforming signs: billboards would be permitted only in industrial districts going forward, but existing billboards would be grandfathered unless unsafe or abandoned.
Illumination and electronic signs: the draft replaces watt-based limits with a lumen-based approach and discusses dimming-capable electronic message boards. Staff proposed a working cap of 3,000 lumens for non‑flashing white light as a starting point and recommended requiring automatic dimming for electronic signage so daytime brightness and nighttime brightness are adjusted.
Size and distribution: building‑face sign area would continue to be related to building frontage (examples: business districts with 1.5 square feet per linear foot up to a district cap). Commissioners expressed concern about very large electronic faces and suggested limiting electronic sign area (one commissioner proposed 24 square feet for the electronic portion) and restricting upward or sky-facing illumination.
Why it matters: signage height, brightness and electronic motion can affect driver visibility and neighborhood light pollution; commissioners asked staff to tighten standards that limit glare and blue-white color temperatures and to specify downward-shielded LED fixtures.
Ending: staff said they will research best practices (nits, lumens, Kelvin color temperature metrics), return with a proposal for dimming-capable electronic signs and consider stricter limits on electronic area and illumination for lower-visibility districts.
