Redmond planning panel directs staff to revise sign rules, drops permit requirement and median ban

The Redmond Planning Commission on May 13 directed staff to prepare a recommendation to the council to amend the city’s temporary noncommercial sign rules, removing a proposed permit process (including associated fees and duration limits) and removing the proposed placement restriction for medians and roundabouts, while asking the council to consider a periodic, prepublished right-of-way cleanup program.

Commissioners spent most of the session debating enforcement trade-offs and First Amendment risk. Chair Weston said the permit process would create “too much red tape for not enough reward” and questioned whether anonymous sign owners would comply with a renewal-based sticker or permit system.

Staff told the commission that permits give code enforcement critical contact information and a way to link repeat violators to enforcement actions. A staff member said, “Without a permit, first of all, we have no way of knowing whose sign it is,” and added that permits help return removed signs and apply penalties to repeat offenders.

Several commissioners pushed back on the permit idea as administratively burdensome. Commissioner Coleman argued a simpler, calendar-based cleanup would reduce enforcement costs and make expectations clear: “We’re gonna reduce the amount of cost from a sign compliance perspective by having sweeps on dates of the year,” he said, urging the commission to publish cleanup dates so sign owners know when removal actions can occur.

The city attorney’s written guidance — included in the packet — prompted caution about timing tied to political content. Staff warned that picking dates tied to election cycles could expose the city to legal challenge; Commissioners responded by proposing content-agnostic, prepublished cleanup windows that would be coordinated with Public Works operations and published on the city website.

Debate also centered on a proposed ban on sign placement in medians and roundabouts. Some members said medians present visibility and safety concerns; others said prohibiting medians and roundabouts would simply push signs into other public areas and leave fewer legal, visible locations. The commission settled on removing the medians-and-roundabouts placement restriction from the recommendation.

After discussion, the commission moved and seconded a motion directing staff to draft the recommended code changes reflecting the commission’s direction: remove permit/fee/duration provisions, omit the median-and-roundabout restriction from placement rules, retain standards for materials and construction, and include a recommendation to council that Public Works adopt periodic, prepublished, content-agnostic right-of-way cleanup dates with guidance on how long removed signs will be retained and where they may be reclaimed. The motion carried with multiple ayes and one abstention.

Staff told the commission it will use the existing permit system if the council requests a permit approach and will return a draft report that reflects the commission’s direction. The commission asked that any proposed cleanup dates be published in advance and that the staff note the legal guidance about content-based restrictions in the recommendation. The commission’s recommendation will appear in a staff report for the next meeting and, if approved, be transmitted to council for consideration.