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Council approves rewritten sign code after industry objections and on-floor changes
Summary
After months of drafting and industry input, the Hot Springs Board adopted a rewritten sign code on May 5, 2026 with several amendments that restored larger freestanding pole sign allowances for commercial properties and set a January 1, 2027 effective date.
The City of Hot Springs adopted a comprehensive rewrite of its sign code (Ordinance O-26-17) on May 5, after an extended hearing that included sign-industry testimony and multiple on-floor amendments.
Background and dispute: Planning staff and the Planning Commission presented a sign-code rewrite ("Sign Code 2.0") following 11 work sessions and outreach to local sign professionals. The draft sought to modernize content-neutral regulations and initially proposed lower maximums for freestanding pole signs (for example, proposed 25 ft height and a 100-square-foot cap in some districts) and tighter definitions for monument versus pole signs to improve visual character. Sign-industry representatives, led by David Hamilton of Size Sign Company, argued the proposed caps would immediately render many existing commercial signs nonconforming and could impose…
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