Council gives initial approval to rewrite Marion sign code, limits some electronic signage

The Marion City Council gave initial approval July 17 to Ordinance 25-23, which reorganizes and updates Chapter 340 of the Marion Code of Ordinances governing signage.

Charlie Cowell of RDG, the city’s consultant, described the rewrite as the last phase of the design-standard updates and said the changes are intended to improve clarity and enforceability. "Content neutrality in the code language" is a central change, Cowell said, and the rewrite consolidates similar temporary signs, clarifies how sign height and setbacks are measured, and fills gaps where sign types previously lacked regulation.

Cowell said the update reduces the permitted amount of electronic message center (EMC) area relative to non‑electronic sign face. He described other regulatory changes including: limiting EMCs in residential and central corridor districts, setting monument sign height by setback (e.g., higher signs when set back farther than 20 feet), and no longer allowing new box signs (internally illuminated box-type projecting signs), though existing nonconforming box signs may be subject to nonconforming-use rules.

Planning and Zoning recommended approval. The council took the initial reading by voice vote; no roll-call opposition was recorded during the initial consideration. Staff said nonconforming sign repair or replacement will follow the city’s nonconformity standards (damage thresholds were discussed; the threshold cited in the meeting was 60 percent).

The ordinance will return for later readings as required by the city’s ordinance-adoption process.