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Council weighs downtown marquee-style signs and tighter rules for electronic campaign signs
Summary
Councilors reviewed a Planning Commission referral to allow a limited number of historic-style marquee signs in downtown and a separate amendment to restrict electronic or animated campaign signs in residential neighborhoods, with staff promising historic-review checks and enforcement language.
The Provo City Council discussed two related sign-code items on Tuesday: a Planning Commission referral to permit a restricted marquee-style sign type in portions of downtown, and a zoning-code amendment to close a gap that previously exempted many electronic campaign signs from enforcement.
Erin Ardmore introduced a proposal for a new downtown sign type that would be limited (initially) to three signs per block face, have height restrictions and require standard sign‑permit review. She said the design was requested by downtown business owners seeking to restore historic signage and would include additional review by the city’s historic planner and, where appropriate, the landmarks commission.
Councilors raised concerns that allowing blade or marquee signs could trigger a visual "arms race" of brightness and quantity. One councilor urged caution, saying past sign reductions were intended to avoid clutter. Ardmore and staff responded that neon illumination would not be allowed on the new sign type and that initial limits, review steps and block-face caps were intended to prevent visual clutter.
Scott Johnson, the city’s zoning administrator, separately presented a narrowly tailored amendment addressing a code exemption for campaign signs: under the proposed language, an electronic or animated campaign sign placed on private residential property would not be immune from enforcement and would be prohibited where the zoning code otherwise forbids electronic displays. Johnson said the change is an interim fix ahead of a broader zoning-code rewrite and is intended to close an enforcement gap revealed by a recent complaint involving an electronic campaign display in a residential neighborhood.
Staff said that if enforcement or allocation problems arise with the downtown sign rollout, they would revisit criteria with the Downtown Alliance and return to council with options. The Planning-Commission referral will appear on the council agenda for consideration, with staff having prepared clarified draft language to address public-right-of-way and animation restrictions.
Next steps: the council will consider the ordinance on the upcoming agenda; staff will include clarified paragraphs separating public-right-of-way restrictions, animation bans and lighting/hold-time provisions for electronic displays.
