Commission forwards project‑identification sign text amendment for Valley Grove to council with attorney review and setback clarification

The Pleasant Grove Planning Commission on April 10 voted to forward a code text amendment to the City Council that would add a new freestanding sign type — a "project identification sign" — intended to identify entire unified commercial developments (for example, Valley Grove). The commission included two modifications before forwarding: 1) city attorney review for legal issues related to content‑based sign regulation, and 2) clarified setback language requiring signs to be 5 feet onto the property or 5 feet behind a public sidewalk/easement, whichever is more restrictive.

City planner Jacob Hawkins described the proposed definition and standards: project identification signs would be permitted only within unified commercial development areas of at least 20 acres; the sign face area would not exceed 200 square feet and maximum height would be 12 feet; only one project identification sign would be allowed per unified commercial development; and such signs must be at least 150 feet from another freestanding sign (monument, pole or pylon). Hawkins said the signs must be located adjacent to the development boundary abutting a collector/arterial/freeway frontage road and must be at least five feet from the property line adjacent to a public right‑of‑way or private street as determined by the city engineer in compliance with AASHTO standards.

Hawkins reviewed examples from nearby cities: American Fork permits project identification signs on properties 25 acres or larger with sign faces up to 450 sq. ft. and heights up to 35 feet (with planning commission review); Lehi permits placemaking signs on multi‑parcel projects 10 acres or larger with a maximum area of 200 sq. ft., subject to design appropriateness. Hawkins and staff recommended careful limits on height, area and siting to protect the city's primary corridors.

Marty Beaumont of St. John Properties, the applicant for Valley Grove, said the proposed sign is intended as a place‑making marker to identify the Valley Grove project as motorists approach from the freeway and Pleasant Grove Boulevard. Beaumont explained the site's topography and existing easements (including a storm drain and sidewalk/public utility easements) influenced the proposed setback and height. "You've arrived Valley Grove," Beaumont said, describing the sign's purpose as an entry marker rather than tenant advertising.

Commission discussion focused on scale, location and the proposed 150‑foot separation from other freestanding signs (staff said the 150‑foot separation was chosen so the developer could accommodate both project‑level signage and other freestanding signs for individual buildings). Commissioners also asked staff to clarify sidewalk/back‑of‑curb easement situations in Valley Grove, and city engineering staff recommended wording that the sign be "5 feet from the property line or from the back of sidewalk (public walkway), whichever is more restrictive." The commission additionally requested the city attorney review the draft language to ensure the regulation does not run afoul of First Amendment constraints on content‑based sign restrictions.

Commissioner Martineau moved to forward the text amendment to the City Council recommending adoption of the code changes to Chapter 10‑19 (Signs and Outdoor Advertising) to establish project identification signs, adopting the staff exhibits, conditions and findings and adding the two modifications (attorney review and clarified setback language). The motion was seconded and carried by the commission with all voting aye.

The proposed text amendment, as presented to the commission, would permit one project‑identification sign per qualifying unified commercial development of at least 20 acres, with a maximum sign area of 200 square feet, maximum height of 12 feet, a minimum 5‑foot setback from the property line or back of sidewalk (whichever is more restrictive), and a required 150‑foot separation from other freestanding signs. The amendment will now proceed to city council consideration and attorney review as requested.