Council members press CPD on sign code, food-truck rules and anti-displacement measures

Council members used the CPD briefing to press for quicker fixes to legacy zoning issues, asking how regulatory reform will address sign-code inconsistencies, long-standing food-truck allowances, and anti-displacement protections tied to housing reforms.

"But also, I don't think we're putting any emphasis right now on anti displacement policies," Councilmember Jamie Torres said, asking whether CPD would prioritize anti-displacement measures and explore pre-approved plans and ADU prototypes for homeowners. Torres said she wanted the city to make options accessible to residents who already own property rather than only focusing on developer-oriented proposals.

CPD deputy executive staff responded that the concept of pre-approved plans is supported but that resource limitations — who draws and submits templates — can be a barrier. "We're really supportive of that concept," Deputy Executive Director Sarah Schollwalter said, noting peer cities have implemented similar programs and staff would work to identify what made some examples successful.

Councilmember Flora Alvidrez raised sign-code and food-truck concerns in her district, citing businesses such as Table Public House. She said long-standing food trucks and historic signs have been caught up in zoning enforcement that has harmed small businesses. "There are multiple food trucks. It's not just 1," Alvidrez said, and urged CPD to address those disconnects in the work plan.

CPD Executive Director Brad Buchanan said the sign code sits in the older zoning (Chapter 59) and that some sign cases are being handled on a case-by-case basis; he acknowledged signs that have been removed and replaced can change legal status. "The sign code is part of the zoning code," Buchanan said, adding that updating the sign code is on the regulatory-reform list but not included in Phase 1 because staff identified lower-hanging fruit to advance quickly.

Councilmember Sawyer told staff that comprehensive sign-plan requirements frequently delay major developments and small-business signage changes, calling the sign plan a "big holdup" that can take months to amend. Sawyer urged the department to prioritize reducing timeline impacts where possible.

Council President Amanda Sandoval and other members emphasized the importance of CPD partnership on overlays and rezonings; Sandoval noted local examples where overlay implementation allowed targeted increases in height and active-street use near transit corridors. Council members asked staff to follow up on specific sign and food-truck cases and to provide detail on how unlocking-housing engagement will translate to homeowner-facing options.

The committee closed without formal votes on code changes; CPD was asked to continue outreach and return with more-detailed proposals and guidance for council consideration.