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Highland Beach commission directs staff to draft ordinance to allow larger condominium signs
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Summary
The Town Commission voted unanimously to instruct staff to draft an ordinance increasing the maximum permanent condominium sign area to 32 square feet and to add an appeal process routed first to the planning board and then to the commission.
Mayor Moore moved and the commission voted unanimously to direct staff to draft an ordinance raising the maximum permanent sign area for condominiums to 32 square feet and establishing an appeals process that would allow larger signs up to an identified cap to be reviewed by the planning board and the commission.
The planning and zoning planner told commissioners the item began as a public comment from Villa Magna condominium, which requested larger permanent signage. The planner said the planning board recommended using Boca Raton’s sign code as a reference, creating a variance/appeal process for dimensional requests, and adopting a universal rule to ensure signs fit a property’s building and use while addressing pedestrian and roadway safety.
Commissioners debated the right maximum, measurement method and process. Mayor Moore said 32 square feet would accommodate typical local signs and fall short of Boca Raton’s larger threshold, noting that Villa Magna had asked for 24 square feet. Commissioner discussion focused on whether to adopt a single maximum across scenarios, how to measure wall or monument signs (measuring a boxed area around lettering versus entire wall), and whether an appeal allowance should have an upper guardrail similar to Boca Raton’s 72-square-foot threshold.
Town Attorney Rubin advised commissioners that the legal standard for a variance is demanding and suggested structuring an appeal process to come back to the commission if desired. After clarifying language to call the review an appeal rather than a standard variance, Mayor Moore moved the draft ordinance language and Commissioner (speaker 9) seconded. The commission approved the direction for staff by roll-call vote.
Next steps: staff will draft an ordinance reflecting the 32-square-foot maximum with an appeal process to the planning board and commission. The draft will return to the planning board for recommendation before the commission considers formal adoption.
