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Board hears draft sign‑ordinance rewrite to comply with recent case law; enforcement capacity a concern
Summary
Solicitor and staff briefed the board on required revisions to temporary‑sign rules after recent court decisions; the draft would create a uniform standard, remove most signs from rights of way, and likely require permits — but enforcement and permit workload remain unresolved.
Solicitor Esposito explained that recent case law limits content‑based regulation of temporary signs and requires municipalities to regulate temporary signs uniformly rather than by content categories. The township's draft ordinance combines categories such as real‑estate, grand‑opening and opinion signs under one temporary‑sign regime and would bar most temporary signs from rights of way (except political signs in certain circumstances), while also proposing permitting and size standards.
Board members and residents expressed concern about the operational burden and costs of enforcing the new requirements. Staff said enforcement would likely be reactive and rely on community self‑regulation, realtor and party cooperation, and public education to avoid ongoing proactive enforcement that would require additional capacity. The board asked staff to refine the draft, consider permit fees and exemptions, and work with the solicitor and enforcement staff before further action.
No ordinance was adopted; staff will revise and return to the board.
