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Planning Board narrows draft sign ordinance: 50‑square‑foot permit threshold and 5‑second electronic display agreed
Summary
The board reviewed an updated sign ordinance draft, agreed by unanimous consent to keep a 50‑square‑foot permit threshold and later endorsed a 5‑second minimum display for electronic/changeable signs; members also discussed brightness limits, enforcement, nonconforming signs and a variance process.
The Planning Board reviewed an updated sign ordinance draft and made several policy choices to narrow the town’s approach to changeable and electronic signs.
By unanimous consent the board kept a 50‑square‑foot threshold for when a permit is required, matching a state permitting size referenced during the meeting. Later in discussion the board endorsed shortening electronic/changeable sign display intervals: Brian, a town staff member, explained that state rules set a default that a changeable display may be changed no more than once every 20 minutes unless a municipality specifies otherwise, and the board elected to authorize a shorter interval. After discussion the board settled on a 5‑second minimum display for electronic panels, with members repeatedly noting concern about distraction and urging a brightness limit and enforcement language.
Brian summarized the state position: “The state requires the display on each side of the changeable sign may be changed no more than once every 20 minutes, unless the municipality says otherwise.” Board members discussed reducing timing to 5 seconds for readable messages and also addressed brightness. A board member noted the previous ordinance referenced 500 nits; staff suggested a 600‑nit cap would be appropriate if the town sets a 5‑second minimum and that daytime settings may be much higher under manufacturer controls.
Members also discussed enforcement and penalties. The draft cites Title 30 (as read in the meeting) for enforcement authority; board members said the draft should include an enforcement section with at least the potential for meaningful fines but noted courts often limit extreme daily fines. The board asked staff to preserve a variance procedure and a path for legally nonconforming existing signs to be handled (after‑the‑fact permitting rather than immediate removal).
The board gave staff direction to refine the draft to include: the 50‑square‑foot permit threshold; a 5‑second electronic display minimum; a brightness standard and demonstration proposal (staff offered to gather meter readings for local examples); enforcement language and an explicit variance process for unusual circumstances. The board deferred final adoption pending legal review and technical edits.
