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Council denies sign appeal at 512 Main Street, orders rooftop sign removed and waives a portion of fines
Summary
After a public hearing, the council denied an appeal by a downtown business over sign violations, required removal of the rooftop sign deemed abandoned, and said staff may waive a portion of administrative fines; council sign code revisions for A‑frame standards are expected next month.
The council held a public hearing on Jan. 13 on an appeal of administrative violations for prohibited signs at 512 Main Street. Development Services staff recommended denying the appeal (Administrative Violation CEDash2025Dash018), ordering removal of a rooftop sign and collecting $300 in fines for two administrative violations.
Owner Indev Vadiva told the council he leased the space in mid‑January 2025 and argued the nonconforming status had expired at 136 days rather than 180, asking the council to consider that timeline and raising concerns about inconsistent enforcement of sidewalk chalkboard signs. Several downtown residents, including Kathy Lishman, urged the council to uphold the code to protect the historic downtown character and cited excessive temporary signage and window coverage.
The council voted to deny the appeal, directed removal of the rooftop sign as abandoned, and approved waiving the second $200 fine on the basis that the owner’s appeal paperwork was filed in time and the city's administrative allowances for the holidays applied. The council also signaled it would delay strict enforcement of chalkboard/A‑frame rules until a draft A‑frame standard returning to council in February is finalized.
What this means: the rooftop sign will need to be removed, and downtown businesses should expect a clarified A‑frame sign standard to be adopted in the near term. The council emphasized consistent enforcement while acknowledging a forthcoming city code amendment to set A‑frame standards.
Quoted: Development Services staff recommended "denying the appeal, upholding the violations, requiring removal of the rooftop sign, and collecting the $300 in fines," and the council made a motion to both deny the appeal and waive the second fine based on timing of the appeal.
