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ULDC committee hears overview of sign-code constraints; staff to return a revised draft
Summary
Staff outlined limits the town faces when regulating signs, including exceptions for bona fide farm signs and constitutional limits on content regulation, and said a new sign code will be drafted for committee review.
Town planning staff told the ULDC Committee that a revised sign code will be needed and that the town faces unique challenges because of large residential lots and farms in the jurisdiction.
At the Feb. 10 meeting staff explained that bona fide agricultural operations and agritourism-related farm signage are largely outside municipal regulation, and that constitutional protections prohibit regulations that treat sign content differently. Staff said those constraints require a tailored approach to temporary residential signs, political signage, and master sign plans for multi-tenant developments.
"You cannot regulate content," a staff presenter told the committee while explaining how a seasonal display exemption can be used to display messages that would otherwise be restricted. The presenter noted that if seasonal or farm-activity displays are permitted without size limits, they can become a de facto way to post very large messages on private property.
Why it matters: Committee members asked staff to balance residents' desire for rural character and smaller-scale signage with legal limits and practical needs for real-estate and temporary political signage on large lots. Staff said the forthcoming draft will aim to meet constitutional standards while providing practical, design-focused limits for commercial and residential signage.
Key points
- Farm and seasonal signs: Staff said signs that are part of a bona fide agricultural operation or agritourism activity generally fall outside municipal sign regulation. Staff advised the committee to expect that some farm signs cannot be restricted by the town code.
- Content neutrality and seasonal-display loophole: The presenter highlighted that permitting a "seasonal display" without a size cap can allow content the town would otherwise limit. "If I allow a seasonal display, I can use that seasonal display for whatever I want it to actually say," the presenter said, and warned that political and commercial messages can be placed in that category unless the code is carefully drafted.
- Residential signs on large lots: Committee members and staff discussed whether the number and size of permitted residential signs should scale with lot size; staff asked members to survey what sizes and counts they consider reasonable for this community.
- Master sign plans and multi-tenant developments: Staff recommended that larger commercial developments use a master sign plan to ensure consistent design across outparcels and multi-tenant centers.
Next steps
Staff said they will prepare a new sign-code draft that considers the town's large-lot residential pattern, addresses temporary and political signage, and includes master sign-plan language for multi-tenant developments. The presenter told the committee the new draft will be organized to meet constitutional muster and will be circulated to committee members prior to the next meeting.
Ending
Committee members asked staff to circulate background materials and an initial draft as soon as possible; staff said they will provide links to existing code language and bring a proposed new draft for committee review.
