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Council directs staff to draft limited A-frame sign ordinance (St. Helena model with modifications)
Summary
Council directed staff to draft an A-frame sign ordinance modeled on St. Helena’s rules but modified to require one sign per business, keep signs within the width of the storefront, and preserve a 4‑foot pedestrian clearance; council passed the motion with Mayor Williams recorded as the sole nay.
Councilmembers discussed how to support small businesses while protecting pedestrian access and the town’s visual character, and directed staff to prepare an ordinance that allows limited A-frame or upright sidewalk signs with standards similar to St. Helena’s program.
Planning Director Greg Desmond presented two options: a quick allowance with limits or a longer-term downtown signage program. The council favored the St. Helena approach with these modifications: allow one sign per business, require at least 4 feet of unobstructed pedestrian clearance, and limit placement to within the width of the business’s storefront (with modest corner sign accommodations for the first block off Lincoln as staff explores fair distribution and enforcement). Several council members warned about potential sign proliferation and enforcement workload, but supporters said A-frame signs help businesses off the main strip attract foot traffic.
Councilmember Eisenberg made a motion to adopt the St. Helena model with the modifications; the motion passed (majority vote) with Mayor Williams voting no. Staff will draft the ordinance language and return for formal consideration.
