Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Signage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Town schedules hearing on sign ordinance after state law lets some preexisting signs be relocated
Summary
Staff briefed the Aberdeen Town Board on a proposed Unified Development Ordinance text amendment on freestanding signs; a recent state statute allowing some sign relocations prompted the review and a Feb. 24 public hearing was set.
The Aberdeen Town Board set a public hearing for Feb. 24, 2025 to consider UDO text amendment 24-5, which updates local regulations for freestanding signage.
Staff said the planning board has reviewed the proposal several times and noted a state statute passed in mid-2024 that permits relocation of existing freestanding signs on the same property to the same height provided the sign’s dimensional surface area is unchanged. That statutory change affects preexisting, nonconforming signs that are relocated because of road projects or other site changes.
Board members asked several practical questions, including how the statute applies if a sign is damaged by an accident and whether replacement after damage must comply with a newer, lower-height local ordinance. Staff said the statute applies only to relocation without changes in surface area; replacements after significant damage may revert to the local ordinance depending on repair cost and the 50% rule staff described.
Members discussed visible examples from the region and expressed concern that some large corporate signs could return to their previous height if relocated under the statute. Staff said new signs would still be regulated under the town’s updated ordinance and that the planning board’s recommended changes aim to reduce new tall signs going forward.
The board unanimously approved setting the public hearing for Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. and asked staff to provide exhibit maps and sample ordinance language for the hearing.
