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Planning commission refines Bluff sign code definitions, temporary-sign timing
Summary
At a Oct. 16 work session commissioners revised definitions (monument vs. ground-mounted), debated permit 'conditions' language, and proposed a 2-weeks-before/1-week-after timeframe for temporary event signage; enforcement language was retained.
The Bluff Planning and Zoning Commission used a reduced quorum on Oct. 16 to work through proposed revisions to the town’s sign code, focusing on definitions, permitting language and temporary-sign rules.
Vice Chair Marsha Haidfeld led the group through line edits and examples. Commissioners added or clarified definitions for monument signs and ground-mounted signs, agreeing that a monument should be described in terms of the sign structure and the ground. Marsha asked the group to confirm that charted sign sizes refer to the face of the sign — "the actual board on which the text is presented" — rather than stone surrounds or mounting structures.
On the permit process, commissioners debated whether the commission’s decision language should explicitly include approval "with conditions." Commissioners discussed how to treat incomplete applications vs. conditions added during review, and agreed the text should clearly set when an application is deemed complete and how written decisions will record reasons and conditions.
Temporary signage was a specifically noted topic. Marsha proposed a candidate timeframe: "The use of temporary signage is restricted to 2 weeks before and 1 week after the event," and commissioners agreed the numbers could be adjusted; they also said holiday and election signs were intended to remain exempt. Commissioners asked staff to collect photographic examples to make the difference between ground-mounted and monument signs clearer in the draft.
Enforcement language remained in the draft; commissioners said the town needs enforceable remedies for signs that are damaged, create safety hazards or become nonconforming. The commission agreed to consolidate edits and bring the revised draft to the full commission for consideration ahead of the Oct. 28 public hearings.
What happens next: Commissioners will assemble examples to illustrate definitions, finalize clarifying language on sign and structure sizing, and present the consolidated draft to the full commission for action during the public hearing process.
