Nassau County board consolidates sign rules and moves to ban new billboards, with carve-out for I‑95

The Nassau County Planning & Zoning Board on June 3 voted to consolidate scattered sign rules into one Land Development Code article and to rescind provisions allowing new billboards in most of unincorporated county areas.

County planning staff presented three related ordinances that move sign standards spread across five sections of the code into a single article and that would prohibit new billboards in most locations. Holly Coyle, county planning staff, told the board: “New billboards will no longer be permitted in the county,” and said existing nonconforming billboards could remain under the code’s nonconforming-use provisions until abandoned, destroyed or otherwise ineligible.

The board’s action follows staff recommendations that the consolidated standards align with the State Road 200/A1A overlay and with comprehensive plan Objective FL‑10 and Policies FL‑10.04 and FL‑10.05. Supporters cited aesthetic and safety reasons; opponents on the board repeatedly raised concerns about impacts to advertising businesses and to highway‑oriented commerce along I‑95.

Board member Fendig said he opposed eradicating an “industry that provides the revenue” on the I‑95 corridor, calling billboards “out of place” in some county areas but arguing the county should not broadly ban the use. Planning staff and the county attorney explained federal and state law history, including the Highway Beautification Act and state billboard regulation, and noted that many jurisdictions allow existing nonconforming billboards to remain while prohibiting new installations.

The board considered several distinct ordinances related to signs and billboards over the meeting. Motions and votes recorded on the record included separate recommendations on the repeal/consolidation and the billboard provisions (see Actions below). After debate, the board voted to send a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners that would (a) consolidate sign regulations into a single LDC article and (b) advance the ban on new billboards but with an explicit recommendation that the county commission exclude the I‑95 corridor and its interchanges from the prohibition. That final recommendation passed on a 4–1 vote; one member, Board member Morris, voted no.

What this means going forward: the Planning & Zoning Board’s votes are recommendations that go to the Board of County Commissioners for final adoption. The ordinances approved by the board reflect staff’s effort to create a single, consistent sign code for unincorporated Nassau County and to limit new billboard installations except where the county commission may later decide otherwise for major highway interchanges.

Votes at a glance (on sign/billboard-related ordinances): the board recommended approval of the ordinance to repeal the Amelia Island sign ordinance and consolidate sign regulations (LDC 25‑002‑01, ord. 2025‑015); recommended approval of the ordinance rescinding the county billboard chapter (LDC 25‑002‑01, ord. 2025‑024); and later recommended approval of the consolidated sign article with the written modification to exclude I‑95 corridor and interchanges from the billboard prohibition (ordinance 2025‑020). See Actions for formal motion language and vote tallies.

The board closed public comment on the items after hearing no public cards on the initial sign proposals. Staff and the county attorney answered board questions about grandfathering, nonconforming signs, measurement rules for wall and monument signs, and the basis for proposed limits on wall sign area under the new unified article.

The matter now proceeds as recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners, which will receive the board’s recorded motions, the staff report, and the public record when it considers final adoption.