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Board adopts countywide sign ordinance updates and Cameron Park standards, limits digital signs
Summary
Supervisors adopted updates to the county sign ordinance and new Cameron Park sign standards, tightening rules on digital signage and clarifying permitting and enforcement; the board also accepted ad hoc committee recommendations on relocation and billboard consolidation.
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday adopted comprehensive updates to the county sign ordinance and a separate set of community sign standards for the Cameron Park area, adding clearer permitting rules, updated enforcement procedures and new limitations on digital display signs.
Tom Purcell of the Long Range Planning division described the package as a targeted update that modernizes the ordinance, clarifies permit paths and implements community-specific rules for Cameron Park. “The board wanted to expand maximum sign allowances for signs associated with commercial development, and we've done that in a couple of places,” Purcell said during the presentation.
The board adopted an addendum to the county’s 2015 sign ordinance environmental review, amended chapter 130.36 of the zoning ordinance and adopted Cameron Park sign standards. The package also incorporated recommendations from a signage ad hoc committee, which recommended a general prohibition of digital signs with tailored carve-outs for specific uses such as fuel pricing displays, public-safety messages, time/date/temperature displays and community-service-district signs.
Key changes and rationale Staff told the board the updated ordinance clarifies four principal permit types: uniform sign programs for multi-sign development that deviate from by-right standards; design-review permits for signs visible from U.S. Highway 50 and for community sign programs; administrative permits for freestanding or building-attached signs that comply with standards; and variances for limited, unusual cases. The changes are intended to streamline permitting and make enforcement more predictable.
On enforcement, code enforcement and Elections staff will coordinate to provide clearer guidance to candidates and sign users; the elections packet will include temporary-sign rules and advise candidates that a portion of candidate deposits may be forfeited for violations. Transportation and Environmental Management will assist with physical sign removal when necessary.
Cameron Park standards and digital signs Cameron Park’s new standards are more restrictive than countywide rules in several areas: a-frame sign limits, non-reflective material requirements and additional placement and size restrictions. The board also accepted the ad hoc’s recommendations to limit digital signage countywide while allowing specific, narrowly defined exceptions.
Support and next steps The El Dorado Hills Community Services District sent a written comment supporting the direction; public testimony at the hearing was limited. The board approved the ordinance and related resolution and directed staff to add clarifying language about relocation agreements in the Cameron Park standards (a friendly amendment offered by county counsel and adopted by the board). The ordinance will become effective 30 days after adoption.
What the ordinance does not change Staff emphasized that the updates do not retroactively alter legally grandfathered signs; removal or relocation of legacy billboards remains subject to state law and the county’s relocation and consolidation authority where applicable.
Next steps Planning staff will implement the updated permit and enforcement procedures, publish FAQs and coordinate with code enforcement and Elections on sign guidance for candidates and community groups.
