Chesapeake Beach planning panel finalizes structure for revised sign ordinance, schedules public hearing

The Chesapeake Beach Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed a near-final draft of the town's sign ordinance on Aug. 27, focusing on document organization, definitions, temporary and portable signs, and enforcement language ahead of a planned public hearing next month.

Commissioners and staff said the draft is close to completion but recommended structural changes to make the ordinance easier for the public and code users to navigate. Planning staff (referred to in the meeting as Miss Franklin) summarized the most recent edits and described four exemptions she removed from a "permit required" subsection after cross-checking the draft.

The commission discussed moving an applicability statement into a separate section so the ordinance's opening "function and purpose" paragraph can stand alone. "I want that beautiful statement to stand alone," one commissioner said, and the panel agreed to place the negative applicability sentence under a new applicability subsection so the purpose language remains prominent. Miss Franklin said the applicability text in the current code and the proposed text were "very similar" and recommended deleting the redundancy.

Members spent substantial time on definitions and cross-references. Commissioners asked staff to add a short cross-reference table (or table of contents) that directs readers from defined sign terms (for example, "temporary sign" and "portable sign") to the specific sections where regulation appears. Planning staff said the table would make future edits easier and would be included in the final draft for the public hearing.

The panel clarified technical language and units. Commissioners agreed to change "lineal foot" to "linear foot" in the measurement provision, and to prefer the phrasing "as determined by" instead of the more subjective "in the opinion of" when describing determinations made by public works or zoning staff.

Temporary and portable signs drew detailed debate. The commission resolved to make time limits consistent across the draft: temporary signs tied to events will not be posted earlier than 14 days before the event and the panel favored a 60-day-per-year cap for recurring or holiday display periods rather than a shorter 30-day cap suggested earlier. The commission also confirmed that portable signs should be secured and "brought indoors when high wind events are forecast." Staff said the portable-sign requirement would be included in the general regulations so it applies to exempt signs as well.

Members also discussed nonconforming signs and enforcement. The draft will continue to treat certain existing signs as nonconforming (allowing the physical sign to remain), while restricting features that the ordinance will not allow going forward (for example, flashing or blinking electronic messaging). Commissioners asked staff to clarify where the new nonconforming language intersects with existing enforcement procedures and whether the town will provide notice before removal. The draft as discussed included language that the town is "not required to notify" owners before removing signs on public property or abandoned signs, and commissioners asked that that provision be stated clearly while recognizing legal review by town attorneys is needed.

The commission debated whether to duplicate standards from the residential section into the commercial section for readability versus keeping cross-references to avoid inconsistencies when future amendments are made. Several commissioners recommended copying the residential standards into the commercial subsection with careful editorial tracking to avoid contradictory rules later, while others warned that duplication increases the chance of inconsistency if one subsection is amended and the other is not.

Miss Franklin and commissioners noted minor copy edits and grammatical fixes (for example, rewording "such order shall be complied with" to a construction that begins with the person obligated to comply) and said they would make those adjustments before the public hearing.

The commission agreed the document is ready for a public hearing next month with the organization and cross-reference changes discussed at the meeting. Staff will prepare a consolidated, replaced version of pages (as circulated in the meeting packet) so the public and council receive a single coherent draft at the hearing.

Ending

The commission concluded its review after roughly two hours of detailed line-by-line editing and directed staff to prepare the revised draft for the advertised public hearing next month. Members emphasized the next step is a legal review and then formal consideration by the Town Council following the public hearing.