Coupeville council asks staff, planning commission to re-examine sandwich-board and temporary-sign rules

Business owners and residents urged the Coupeville Town Council on July 1 to reconsider the town's sign rules that prohibit A-frame ("sandwich-board") signs, saying the restriction limits visibility for small businesses off Main and Front streets. After a public discussion and Planning Department briefing, the council directed staff to gather more information and return the issue to the Planning Commission.

The central point came during audience input when Dawn Hawkins, co-owner of Rain Shadow Nursery and Hardware, told the council she was asking them to "reconsider the town sign ordinance section 16.28.040 paragraph g, which prohibits the use of rotating signs, also known as A-frame signs or sandwich boards." Hawkins argued such signs are an inexpensive way to draw foot traffic to smaller storefronts.

Lisa Bernard, executive director of the Pacific Northwest Art School, said a modest, standardized A-frame increases walk-in traffic for businesses that lack Main Street frontage. "When one of us succeeds, we all succeed," she told the council, and proposed a town-approved template that local groups such as the Lions Club could produce to ensure consistent appearance.

Council members and staff discussed constraints the town must consider, including Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) clearance on narrow sidewalks and federal case law limiting content-based sign regulation. Planning Director Joshua Mankinbard reviewed the local rules that apply to signage, noting Coupeville enforces both the Coupeville sign code (Chapter 16.28) and design guidance from Ebey's National Historical Reserve. He told the council the Planning Commission had heard multiple public comments on June 3 and July 1 and "indicated that they would be interested in examining" temporary A-frame provisions further.

Council discussion focused on avoiding off-site advertising, preserving pedestrian access on narrow sidewalks, and anticipating the unintended consequences of allowing boards in some locations but not others. Council members suggested exploring a uniform, content-neutral template (size/color/material), clear limitations on placement so sidewalks remain ADA-compliant, and whether permits or a simple registration would be needed.

The council did not change the code at the meeting. Instead, it directed planning staff to research best practices and legal constraints, draft potential template and placement rules, examine interactions with Ebey's design guidance, and return proposals to the Planning Commission for formal review.

The council also noted related questions that could arise later, including whether to allow murals or other public art and how to reconcile design guidelines that apply across the Ebey's Reserve with municipal sign rules. Mankinbard said he would report back to the Planning Commission and to the council after the research.

The action was procedural: staff will prepare options for Planning Commission consideration; no ordinance amendments were adopted at the meeting.