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North Aurora staff to draft code change to cover I‑88 auto mall sign, dealers seek 50‑foot LED display
Summary
Village staff presented a proposed text amendment to the sign code for the North Aurora Auto Mall to authorize the large I‑88-facing sign to reach 50 feet and include an LED panel; trustees asked about driver distraction, ownership and repair responsibility and directed staff to research code/enforcement options.
Village staff on Monday presented a proposed text amendment to the sign code for the North Aurora Auto Mall that would explicitly authorize two large mall signs — including an I‑88-facing sign proposed to be up to 50 feet tall with an LED display — and would allow rehabilitation of the existing Orchard Road sign.
"They would like to go up to 50 feet tall," Nathan said when describing the dealers' proposal for the I‑88-facing structure, which staff said would include a separate LED screen portion above stacked dealer logos. Staff noted the existing Target sign along the tollway is 45 feet tall and the current auto mall sign is 40 feet.
The presentation flagged a gap in the village's existing rules: the auto mall section of the sign code addresses dealer-lot signage but does not mention the two larger, off‑site mall signs. Staff said the annexation agreement that might have governed the signs has expired and there was never a planned-unit development recorded for the mall area, leaving ownership and regulatory coverage unclear.
Trustees raised safety and precedent concerns. One trustee questioned whether an LED screen next to the expressway would be distracting to motorists, and another urged a firm height cap. "I just I just don't want like an obelisk coming," a trustee said, arguing that a clear limit would avoid gradual escalation that could lead to much taller signs in the future and that larger exceptions should require a variance.
Staff also described operational constraints for any LED display. Nathan noted tollway rules require static displays that do not flash, blink or fully animate, with a minimum three seconds static time per message for signs governed by IDOT tollway rules; staff said any LED use would need to comply with those restrictions.
The discussion also focused on repair responsibility. Staff said several mall and town-center monument signs are in poor condition and ownership is fragmented after property sales and bankruptcy, with different parcels now owned by Target, JCPenney and others. When a sign was knocked down in a past accident the village could not find an owner to claim it and stored the removed sign, illustrating enforcement and liability gaps.
Staff proposed next steps: village staff (including Nathan, Steve, Mike and Kevin) will research relevant statutes, easements and past agreements, attempt further outreach to property owners, and explore options such as code enforcement, reimbursement of village expenses or back-billing property owners. Staff said they would prepare draft language for the auto mall section of the sign code so the village has clear standards for the two large signs.
The board did not take a vote on the text amendment Monday; staff will return with draft language and recommended enforcement options at a future meeting.
