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Commission reviews draft sign ordinance; asks clarifying edits and to return in April
Summary
Fairfield — The Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed a draft sign ordinance and asked staff to clarify which zones allow monument and wall signs, add size limits for directional signs and include illustrative graphics and cross-references to the general plan.
Fairfield — Commissioners spent substantial time reviewing a revised town sign ordinance (Exhibit A) intended to replace the existing chapter. The draft aims to define permitted sign types and to tie monument-sign design to the general‑plan aesthetic standards; commissioners asked staff for several clarifications and suggested numerical limits for some sign types.
Key discussion points: Commissioners supported retaining a prohibition on advertising signs in residential zones except specified temporary real-estate or campaign signs, and they favored a monument-style sign design for nonresidential areas. They asked staff to explicitly indicate which zones (for example, the Light Industrial West, Light Industrial East and Commercial Overlay zones) may have monument and wall signs. On directional and informational signs (the small on-site signs that point to drives, parking, handicapped stalls or building entries), commissioners asked for a size cap and clearer height guidance; the group discussed a square-foot cap of 16 square feet and raised visibility concerns for low signs, suggesting requirements to keep directional signage unobstructed.
Screening and graphics: Commissioners asked that the ordinance include an illustrative diagram (similar to those used by other Utah jurisdictions) to clarify sign types and dimensions. They also discussed screening and compatibility language and recommended the ordinance reference the general plan’s aesthetic and design guidance (once that is finalized) so the sign chapter and the general plan are consistent.
Outcome: Commissioners asked staff to revise the draft sign ordinance with three specific edits: (1) specify zone-by-zone allowances for monument/wall signs, (2) add a 16-square-foot cap and unobstructed-visibility language for directional/informational signs, and (3) include sample graphics and a cross-reference to the general-plan design standards. Item number 6 will return to the commission at the next meeting for continued review.
