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Commission moves draft wall‑sign ordinance toward public hearing, favors 'building face' measure
Summary
Planning staff presented a draft wall‑sign ordinance tying sign area to building frontage (one square foot per linear foot); commissioners discussed switching the metric from 'frontage' to 'building face' to address strip malls and U‑shaped developments and agreed to publish the revised draft for a public hearing on April 16.
Planning staff presented a draft wall‑sign ordinance at the April 2 meeting that would allocate exterior wall sign area relative to building dimensions and cap individual tenant signage in multi‑tenant buildings.
Patrick (planning staff) said he prepared a draft that ties allowable wall‑sign area to building frontage — roughly "one square foot per one foot of building frontage" — and shared GIS‑derived measurements to illustrate how the allocation would work for local properties. Commissioners and staff discussed whether the ordinance should use the term "frontage" (which typically refers to street frontage) or "building face" (the exterior wall surface visible to customers or parking areas). Several members favored switching to "building face" to better capture signage opportunities for U‑shaped malls, outlet‑style developments and faces that front parking areas rather than a street.
Commissioners tested the draft against a local example of a multi‑tenant property (Lewis/Sunshine storefronts), discussing whether the allotment should be applied per building, per lot, or per face and how to prevent one tenant from consuming the entire building's allotment when spaces are later subdivided. The draft also contains a cap limiting an individual sign on a single lot where strip malls exceed 200 square feet per tenant, and staff said those specifics will be tightened in the revised draft.
Planning staff explained the next steps: produce a revised ordinance with a clarified definition ("building face" vs. "frontage") and publish it for public comment. The earliest Planning & Zoning public hearing is scheduled for April 16; if the commission forwards the item, the measure would then proceed to City Council readings and final adoption following normal public‑notice timelines (staff estimated roughly 90 days from initial notice to finalization depending on scheduling and edits).
Commissioners asked staff to check canopy treatments (gas station canopies) and how they count toward a building face, and to produce clear, implementable measurement rules. Staff said temporary signs may remain an interim option while the ordinance proceeds through public review.
The commission voted to move the draft ordinance toward public hearing; staff will prepare a revised draft for April 16 publication and public input.
