Planning commission backs ordinance change to treat roof signs as freestanding signs

The Moab City Planning Commission voted unanimously Dec. 12 to forward a positive recommendation to the City Council on Ordinance 2025-01, an amendment to Moab Municipal Code section 17.93.060 that would allow roof-mounted signs to be regulated and counted as a property’s freestanding sign.

The change would let a business use a roof-mounted sign in place of a freestanding pole sign without expanding the total allowed sign area or exceeding the existing 28-foot height limit, proponents said.

Corey Shirtleff, city staff, explained the amendment is a development-code text amendment submitted by a downtown business owner to resolve a narrow regulatory inconsistency. Shirtleff said current code treats roof signs differently from freestanding signs and that, in some cases, a business could “manipulate” the rules depending on mounting style. The proposed…