EDA reviews sign ordinance changes, flags electronic-billboard and temporary-sign questions

Dayton Economic Development Authority members reviewed the city sign code updates and discussed how the rules affect monument signs, temporary signage and digital conversions.

Staff said the sign code was amended roughly a year earlier to allow taller monument signs in commercial and industrial districts; the copy in the packet is the most current version. Several members said the formatting (American Legal style on the city site) makes it difficult to scan the code and recommended clearer headings or formatting to make zoning-specific sections easier to find.

Members asked about temporary signs and whether recent late-2024 changes permit off-premise temporary advertising with property-owner consent. Staff said they would verify the specific language but noted that many cities limit new billboards while allowing conversions of existing structures under spacing and display rules. The packet and staff discussion also described limits on electronic signage: image changes rather than scrolling and an example duration of roughly 8 seconds per image in the current code review.

Questions also focused on whether signs tied to interim use permits (for event centers and agritourism) should be addressed as part of an interim-use plan so that temporary commercial signage could be removed when the permit expires. Staff suggested bringing a sign plan to council alongside an interim-use permit application in such cases.

Members asked staff to follow up with clarifying language on off-premise allowances and to check whether any temporary-sign changes from late 2024 altered the city’s ability to permit certain advertising arrangements.