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Council declines to adopt sign-code change, sends proposal back to planning after public comment
Summary
After hearing business owners and sign-industry representatives and extensive council debate, the City Council voted unanimously to reject the second-reading amendment that would have increased freestanding sign area near I‑90; staff will return to planning for more stakeholder work.
Belgrade city planners proposed an amendment to the zoning code (referenced as ordinance "20 20 five-six" in the record) to increase the allowable area of freestanding signs for nonresidential properties within 500 feet of Interstate 90 from the current 40 square feet to 100 square feet, clarify height language and limit freestanding signs to one per street front.
Brad Stein, the city’s senior planner, told council the planning board had workshopped the draft and that the edits included both a size increase near the interstate and housekeeping clarifications to sign-height provisions. He entered the staff report into the record and said the draft was returned to council after prior discussion on May 5.
Multiple business representatives and sign-industry speakers urged council to refer the code back to staff for additional stakeholder work. Mike Cash of Town Pump said a 40‑sq‑ft limit would “look like a little poster stamp” next to larger neighboring signs, while Jeff Young of Young Electric Sign Company noted legibility math that can make letter heights too small to be read safely at highway speeds.
Council members balanced those business arguments against resident concerns about view sheds and community character. Several members said they favored returning the code to the planning board rather than adopting it as presented. A roll-call vote on the motion to adopt the ordinance resulted in unanimous opposition; every council member voted no and the motion failed. City staff told council the failure means the ordinance will return to staff and the planning board for further development and public input.
