Resident’s unpermitted billboard denied after council cites code, safety and precedent concerns

Troy Linton told the Mona City Council he built a billboard on his family parcel without a permit and asked for a variance, saying boundary irregularities and road changes had left most of his lot unusable. He said the sign helps a local business and that he had paid for a building permit from a previous mayor.

Council members pressed Linton on code compliance. A council member said the city's sign rules limit permanent sign sizes and warned that allowing an exception would set precedent for similar installations. Staff and council also raised concerns about the sign’s construction materials and whether it would hold up over time and about line-of-sight and future street improvements near the location.

Linton offered to reskin and paint the sign and said he had been working with planning staff and the city attorney. Council members said they appreciated his willingness to cooperate but emphasized that variances are meant for true, documented hardships and that the city must apply its rules consistently.

The mayor asked for a motion on the billboard variance; the council voted and the motion to deny the variance carried with aye votes recorded on the roll. The council did not adopt a different remedy at the meeting and directed staff to continue enforcing relevant sign and permitting rules.

The council’s action ends the formal variance request for that structure as recorded on the meeting agenda; Linton was advised to pursue compliance options with planning and zoning staff if he wishes to pursue a different permit or a future variance.