Council orders proactive sign enforcement; staff told to prioritize unpermitted signs near property lines and commercial corridors

The council voted unanimously on Nov. 4 to direct staff to begin proactive enforcement of the town's sign code, concentrating first on unpermitted freestanding and pole signs near property lines and on commercial corridors.

Community Standards Director Gardner Young explained that the town's sign code contains an amortization provision that required legally conforming signs at the time of adoption to be brought into compliance within five years; that five-year period has expired. The director also reviewed permitted and prohibited sign types, limits on window-sign coverage (20% of glazing) and exemptions in the agricultural zoning district.

Residents and council members raised prominent examples they said were visually intrusive or in disrepair. Council members asked staff to distinguish between signs that were erected with a proper permit (some permitted signs predated incorporation or were permitted by the county) and unpermitted signs. Staff said permitted signs and signs previously approved via building permits would be handled differently than signs with no permit history.

Council action: the council voted 5-0 to instruct code enforcement to be proactive on sign enforcement, particularly for unpermitted signage and those near property lines and main roads. Council asked staff to produce a categorized inventory (permitted vs unpermitted; in disrepair; agricultural exemptions) and to return with a prioritized enforcement schedule.

Why it matters: the direction is intended to reduce the town's visual clutter and restore compliance with existing code while accounting for legal exemptions (especially agricultural parcels). Council emphasized treating permitted signs fairly and prioritizing enforcement where public safety, sight lines or code violations are most significant.