Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Signs Off Premise topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts ordinance to allow limited off-premise low-profile signs with recorded easement conditions
Summary
Ordinance 25‑O‑6 permits off-premise low-profile (monument) signs under strict conditions including a recorded, revocable sign easement, one sign per property and proximity limits; the planning commission recommended the change.
Morgan City Council approved Ordinance 25‑O‑6 on April 22 to allow limited off-premise low-profile ("monument") signs under specified conditions, following a planning commission recommendation and staff review.
What changed: Title 10 was amended to permit off-premise low-profile signs if several conditions are met: a recorded, temporary and revocable sign easement; only one sign allowed per property; the off-premise business must be adjacent to and within 250 feet of the sign; and the sign easement may be removed by the landowner so it will not block future development.
Why this matters: the change responded to a hotel’s request and to inconsistencies staff found in the existing sign ordinance. Jake, the city planner, said the change provides a legal mechanism for a business that lacks street frontage to obtain visibility while protecting property owners’ future development rights. "The recorded, temporary and revocable sign easement... that means if property owner a has the land and b, his neighbor wants to put a sign, they make an agreement, and then they record that easement," Jake said.
Legal and administrative safeguards: Gary, the city attorney, explained the permitting process will require applicants to provide the recorded easement at the time of permit application so staff can confirm the legal instrument exists and is recorded in county records. Council members emphasized the easement should be revocable so a landowner can remove it to allow larger future projects.
Council action and implementation: After public hearings at the planning commission and no significant public opposition recorded, the council moved and seconded adoption of Ordinance 25‑O‑6 and approved it. Staff said the hotel in question would need to secure an easement with the neighbor and record it before a sign permit could be issued.
Ending: The ordinance provides a path for limited off-premise signage under clear legal conditions. Staff will verify recorded easements at permit review and enforce removal if signs are installed without proper recorded authority.
