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Commissioners weigh monument sign dimensions, digital limits as staff drafts sign‑code changes
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Summary
Staff presented proposed updates to Plano’s sign regulations, including monument‑sign height by thoroughfare, design tests to distinguish pole vs. monument signs, and unchanged controls on digital sign frequency and dimming; commissioners favored a proportional base rule for certain freestanding designs and asked staff to draft specific language.
Plano staff presented draft sign‑code updates to the Planning and Zoning Commission that would revise how freestanding (monument and pole) signs are measured and where larger monument signs are allowed.
Robin Kirk, senior planner, said staff recommends most areas retain a 10‑foot monument‑sign height maximum, with modest increases (up to 12 feet) on higher thoroughfares and up to 20 feet allowed on the largest arterial contexts. The draft retains existing controls on electronic message signs—automatic dimming, limits on change frequency and restrictions facing residential uses—but clarifies monument‑versus‑pole design distinctions.
Kirk showed five illustrative monument designs and said staff considered the sign base and cabinet proportions as the primary distinction from pole signs. Commissioners asked for a measurable rule to avoid design workarounds. Several commissioners favored a proportional test; as one suggested, the cumulative base width for a multi‑leg sign should meet a minimum percentage of the cabinet width so that ‘‘skinny three‑legged poles’’ cannot be reclassified as monuments.
The commission did not adopt final ordinance language but asked staff to draft specific measurements (commission discussion suggested a 50 percent baseline as an example) and to return with ordinance text. Commissioners also asked staff to confirm measurement methods for nonrectangular cabinet shapes and to clarify grandfathering/nonconforming sign rules for existing signage.
Staff said the draft will go through departmental review and return to the commission for public hearing when ready.
