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Council asks staff to draft content-neutral rules for signs in public parkways and to clarify parkway maintenance
Summary
After council discussion about political, event and community signs, staff was directed to draft amendments that would allow content-neutral limits on signs in public parkways, address safety (sight lines/intersections), and clarify who is responsible for parkway maintenance including tree management.
The Sierra Madre City Council on Feb. 11 asked staff to return with draft, content-neutral rules governing signs placed in public parkways and with clarifications about parkway maintenance and tree management.
Assistant Planner Huang told the council that the municipal code currently prohibits most signs on public property or right of way, with limited exceptions such as garage- and yard-sale signs. The code has not been substantially amended since 2003, and staff said the city's current prohibition has produced friction for residents and organizations that place temporary signs for elections, little-league promotion, or neighborhood acknowledgments.
Several council members and residents argued the rule should reflect current local practice and be administrable. Council Member Jean Goss noted the city's tradition of community signage and said rules should encourage expression while reducing safety risks. Resident Lehi Lambdin urged the council to forbid signs on city property outright, saying legislative changes should be made only through the formal process and not ignored.
Staff warned about two legal constraints that shape any rule change: the city cannot make content-based restrictions on speech in most instances, and restrictions must therefore be neutral in form (for example, limits by size, duration, number, location and proximity to intersections). Staff also noted liability and ADA risks if signs obstruct sidewalks, driveways, fire hydrant or utilities. Assistant Planner Huang reported a quick survey of neighboring cities showed most nearby jurisdictions prohibit signs in parkways; La Cañada Flintridge allows two small, time-limited political signs in certain circumstances.
After extended discussion, council members asked staff to return with draft ordinance language that:
- treats signs placed in public parkways as permitted on a content-neutral basis (limits by size, height, distance from intersections, number per frontage, and duration), - clarifies who is responsible for maintenance of parkways, including tree and brush management and distinctions where no sidewalk exists, - suggests signage rules for temporary community notices (leagues, playhouse events, library programs) and candidate/election signs that reflect constitutional limits on content-based regulation, and - estimates enforcement implications and potential bond/cleanup mechanisms for late removal.
Staff also was asked to provide mapping procedures for residents to determine the exact parkway/right-of-way boundary adjacent to a parcel, to summarize how other cities handle similar tradeoffs, and to outline an outreach plan describing how residents would be notified of any new rules.
No ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the item was returned to staff for drafting. Council members said they want proposed language to come back as a formal agenda item with staff recommendations, a draft ordinance and a clear summary of legal constraints and enforcement options.
