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Commission weighs permitting guidance for HOA-installed solar speed feedback signs
Summary
Staff recommended an administrative permitting approach with guidance for homeowner associations to install permanent solar radar speed-feedback signs that meet MUTCD guidelines; commissioners asked staff to create website guidance and to require permits for signs in city right-of-way.
City staff asked the commission whether the city should review and permit solar radar speed-feedback signs installed by homeowners associations (HOAs) or whether staff should handle approvals administratively. The signs display driver speed and are already present in some Brentwood subdivisions.
Staff explained the signs are typically HOA-funded and maintained and that the signs should be evaluated against the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Staff said earlier installations in town were approved as permanent locations and that some HOAs had installed signs without prior notification but were later found to be appropriately sited.
Commissioners and staff discussed different sign capabilities and privacy concerns. Staff and commissioners noted there are variants that store only local data versus models with cellular connectivity, cameras or license-plate readers. A staff member said the recommended signs in this discussion store local data only and lack cellular capability. Commissioners asked staff to include clear web guidance describing the permit process, highlight that permanent installations in public right-of-way require a permit, and indicate that camera- or cellular-enabled units would raise additional regulatory concerns.
Cost and equity questions were raised: staff estimated a typical installation cost at about $2,500 per location; commissioners noted non-HOA neighborhoods might request similar measures and asked staff to explain cost-participation expectations. Commissioners also discussed effectiveness, with staff and police noting the signs tend to have temporary impact and can be relocated if used for data collection campaigns.
Staff said they would work with police and public works on guidelines, post information on the city website, and coordinate permitting steps; commissioners asked staff to confirm MUTCD compliance and to require HOA contact with staff to verify placement and to solicit neighbor feedback where appropriate.
