Planning commission approves standards for internally illuminated canopy signs after council direction

The Lexington Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve design standards for internally illuminated canopy signs as part of zoning ordinance amendment ZOA 2025‑03, the commission decided after discussing brightness limits, color temperature and placement rules for C1 and C2 zoning districts.

The action responds to a City Council request that the commission refine standards for lumens, kelvin (color temperature) and sign color. Planning staff and commissioners debated numeric limits for light output and how to define canopy signs versus wall signs before moving and seconding a motion to approve the standards “as presented” for C1 and C2 districts; the motion carried unanimously.

Why it matters: the standards determine where and how canopy-mounted signs may be used in Lexington’s commercial zoning districts and set technical limits intended to reduce visual impact downtown while allowing certain business signage to remain viable. City Council had previously signaled support for allowing canopy signs with clearer technical standards and sent the item back to the commission for more detail.

Most significant details and debate

- Brightness and color: Commissioners discussed numeric limits for light output (lumens) and color temperature. Staff referenced examples and prior conversations about an interior-channel limit roughly in the 700–800 lumen range and a color temperature around 2,700 kelvin for LED lighting. Commissioners noted measuring lumens in the field is challenging when multiple light sources exist and that an enforceable, simple standard is preferable to requiring each sign be tested with a handheld meter.

- Canopy definition and placement: Staff and commissioners clarified that a canopy sign “placed directly on or attached to the top of a canopy” should be distinguished from wall-mounted channel letters that sit on a roofline. The draft limits canopy signs so they are not permitted on vehicle fueling station canopies or pitched-roof structures used at fueling stations.

- Zoning limits and sizing: For wall signs in the C2 district the draft ties allowed display area to building frontage: roughly 1–2 square feet per linear foot with a 32 square foot minimum and a 100 square foot maximum (the packet language ties the overall display area to linear frontage but guarantees a 32 sq ft minimum). For canopy signs in the C1 district, staff stated a further limitation that a canopy sign is allowed only on buildings with greater than 40 feet of street frontage.

- Process and council direction: Commissioners recalled that the commission previously voted to deny canopy signs at an earlier meeting; after the City Council unanimously supported allowing standards and sent the item back to the commission, staff drafted the technical standards now approved. Commissioners debated whether to repeat the denial or to approve recommended standards for council review; the commission ultimately approved the standards so the council could proceed with adoption.

Direct quote

"I would endorse these standards," Planning Commissioner Mary Stewart said when asked if she would support the tightened guidelines while remaining personally opposed to illuminated signs in general.

Action and outcome

The motion as recorded: the commission moved to approve the design standards developed by the planning commission over the last four meetings with respect to internally illuminated canopy signs (referencing zoning ordinance amendment ZOA 2025‑03) for the C1 and C2 zoning districts. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously. The commission’s approval constitutes a recommendation to City Council; City Council had previously signaled unanimous approval and asked the commission to refine technical standards.

What was not decided or remains to be determined

- Field enforcement procedures (how staff will measure compliance on installed signs) were discussed but not set in detailed enforcement protocol during this meeting. - Final adoption still depends on City Council action; the commission’s vote is a recommendation implementing the council’s direction.

Next steps

Planning staff will forward the approved standards and the commission’s recommendation to City Council for the council’s formal consideration and potential adoption.