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Flagstaff staff propose rewrite of city sign code to reduce subjectivity, tighten downtown rules
Summary
City planners presented a multi-year rewrite of Flagstaff's sign code aimed at clearer, more objective standards for downtown and the Flagstaff Central Sign District; draft would codify some downtown design guide recommendations, ban cabinet/raceway signs for new work and reduce required three-dimensional relief on some hanging signs.
City of Flagstaff planning staff presented a multi-year rewrite of the municipal sign code to the Heritage Preservation Commission on Feb. 19, saying the update will make enforcement more objective and simplify language that staff and applicants currently find inconsistent.
Wesley, senior planner with the City of Flagstaff, told the commission the current sign regulations "have left a lot of room for subjectivity" and that different reviewers had often interpreted the rules differently. He said the rewrite consolidates rules, puts commonly applied standards into a clearer table and keeps overall allowances similar while removing vague language from the downtown guidance.
The proposal separates rules for the Flagstaff Central Sign District and the downtown overlay zone (the zoning district that currently contains the historic downtown design standards). For the downtown overlay zone, staff propose to codify several long-used design expectations directly into the sign code. Wesley said that cabinet signs and raceways would be prohibited for new work in the downtown overlay zone and that the design handbook previously used as a compliance checklist would remain as a guidance document rather than a mandatory set of standards.
Tiffany Antal, zoning code manager, explained that a "raceway" is the backing used behind individual illuminated letters to contain electrical wiring and that the code change would prohibit raceways on newly permitted downtown signs. "The code allows us to grant administrative modifications," Antal said during an earlier procedural explanation of minor modification handling, noting staff can grant limited adjustments (for example a 3% administrative increase in lot coverage).
Staff also proposed reducing a technical requirement for hanging and projecting signs: the existing language that required 1.5 inches of relief for three-dimensional signs would be reduced to 0.5 inches so signs maintain a modest three-dimensional element without requiring bulky construction. Wesley said the change is intended to avoid prescriptive, impractical standards.
Commissioners asked for clarifications on several items. Duffy Westheimer asked about the definition and purpose of a raceway; Antal replied that raceways primarily provide power for illuminated letters. Commissioner Jesse Dominguez asked whether neon lighting would be prohibited; staff confirmed that neon would still be allowed and that the restriction addresses blinking LED effects intended to draw continuous attention rather than traditional neon signage.
Wesley said the rewritten sign code will also streamline terminology (for example consistently using the term "downtown overlay zone") and reorganize examples and illustrations; staff plan legal review and public hearings before forwarding the amendment to Planning and Zoning and City Council.
Commissioners said they appreciated the effort to simplify the code and asked staff to share a clean copy when available. Wesley said he expects to begin public hearings later this spring following legal review and illustration edits.
Ending: Staff will circulate a clean draft before public hearings; the commission asked staff to notify members when the final version is scheduled for Planning and Zoning and City Council review.
