Council pauses billboard permitting for 12 months amid legal appeal and zoning rewrite

Planning staff asked council to pause permitting for new off-premise advertising signs for 12 months while an applicant’s challenge to the city’s 2011 sign-ordinance interpretation proceeds through the Board of Zoning Appeals and, if necessary, circuit court.

Mister Kohler (planning staff) summarized the 2011 ordinance's approach: it created an inventory of existing billboards, allowed replacement where located on the inventory, and permitted negotiated replacements paired with removal of dilapidated signs. He said interpretations differ—staff reads the ordinance as an inventory tied to each location while the applicant’s interpretation treats it differently—and the city wants to avoid inadvertently approving a sign inconsistent with the ordinance and judicial review.

Kohler said the 2011 inventory counted roughly 55 billboards at that time; staff now tracks about 37. He told council the moratorium would be narrow and temporary, that it would not create a backlog queue (staff would not collect new permit fees for the period), and that an application fee is nominal (about $150) with a $25 appeal fee. Council members asked how many applicants would be affected and whether negotiated replacements remain possible; staff said only very few applications would likely be impacted and that negotiated replacements remain part of the process when appropriate.

Council approved the 12-month suspension on the floor with an affirmative vote. Planning staff said the moratorium will be coordinated with the Board of Zoning Appeals proceedings and the forthcoming comprehensive zoning rewrite that will revisit billboard rules.