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Belmar council reviews draft sign ordinance, presses for plain-language rules and ADA safeguards
Summary
Councilors and staff spent the workshop reviewing a draft sign ordinance that would alter permitting steps, allow sandwich-board and flutter flags with limits, and require clearer guidance on right-of-way, ADA access and construction standards.
Belmar’s mayor and council spent the workshop session focused on a draft sign ordinance that councilors said they want to simplify and clarify before formal introduction. Council member (speaker 5) introduced the draft and asked that it be put on the next meeting agenda and sent to the planning board for comment.
The discussion centered on the permit flow and the role of the borough’s sign committee. Council member (speaker 4) asked whether applications should be made to an "administrative officer" or directly to the zoning officer; councilors and staff clarified the practical step would be that applications are received and first routed to the sign committee for comment, then reviewed by the zoning officer for the final determination. “So actually, it would come in and I would send it to the sign committee first,” one staff member explained, noting the committee provides comment while the zoning officer makes the final decision.
Councilors also pressed technical points they said need clearer language. Members objected to a provision that appears to require projecting signs to be attached with bolts drilled through to the interior of a building, and suggested referencing the building code or an industry standard rather than specifying hardware. One councilor said the construction requirement "seems pretty onerous" for small businesses and asked staff to review universal construction-code references.
Placement of portable sandwich-board signs prompted extended debate. The ordinance drafts used two different locational standards — "within three feet of the building facade" and "on the curb line" — and councilors recommended clarifying that signs must never impede pedestrian travel and must comply with ADA requirements. "We wouldn't want language that makes it unclear that it has to be ADA compliant," a council member said.
The draft allows flutter flags up to 12 feet, limited to four banners or temporary signs for restaurants and alcohol-licensed establishments; councilors asked for clearer placement rules and plain-language guidance for businesses. Staff said the administration will prepare a plain-language summary and outreach to local businesses once the language is finalized.
Councilors also noted the sign committee is advisory: legal counsel reminded the body that state statutes limit delegating approval authority, so the final approval/denial must remain with the zoning officer and be subject to appeal.
Councilors directed staff to recast ambiguous paragraphs into bullet lists or options, to ensure consistent references to the zoning officer, and to produce a version with plain-language examples for the borough website and business outreach. The ordinance will return for additional revision and a planning-board review before any final vote.
