Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Signs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Red Lion Borough planning commission continues sign-ordinance review; assistant manager flags possible short-term rental issue
Summary
At its June 17 meeting the Red Lion Borough Planning Commission reviewed zone-by-zone sign size limits and permit rules, discussed murals and whether sponsor names constitute advertising, and noted a resident inquiry about converting a garage to a "guest house" ("Airbnb"); minutes were approved and the meeting adjourned.
Red Lion Borough Planning Commission members on June 17 continued reviewing the sign portion of the borough Zoning Ordinance, focusing on zone-specific size limits, permit requirements and how murals should be treated under the rules.
Assistant Borough Manager Michelle Poole told the commission that a homeowner on Wise Avenue asked about converting a garage into a living space described as a "guest house" ("Airbnb"). Poole said current zoning requires accessory living spaces to be in or attached to the main dwelling, so the proposed garage conversion would not be permitted and the resident may appeal to the Zoning Hearing Board. Poole said the commission might review short-term rental and accessory-dwelling rules after finishing the sign ordinance update.
On signs, commissioners reviewed draft size and permit rules by zoning district. Portable signs were listed at 3 feet by 4 feet (12 square feet) per side with no permit required. Temporary signs tied to a development or builder were shown at 32 square feet (one per road frontage) with no permit required. Temporary seasonal sales signs (for products such as Christmas trees or Easter flowers) were listed at 12 square feet with no permit required. For Sale/For Rent sign sizes vary by zone in the draft: 6 square feet in some residential zones, 16 square feet in the Borough Center, and 32 square feet in Commercial/Industrial zones. Several categories (for example, "identification & information" signs for churches, schools and other nonprofits, and certain business signs) were marked "TBD" for maximum size and flagged as permit‑required in the draft language.
The commission also agreed to remove a separate line for identification of industrial parks, subdivisions or shopping centers from the sign table because that type of signage appears elsewhere in the ordinance. Members noted that some entries need specific maximums filled in and that permit thresholds should be clarified before final adoption.
Members discussed murals and how sponsor names affect classification. Poole said decorative outdoor murals painted with flowers or designs are acceptable as noncommercial art, but if sponsor name(s) are added the work becomes an advertising sign and must meet the ordinance's advertising sign rules and any applicable permitting requirements.
Procedural actions recorded in the minutes included Planning Commission member Cindy Barley moving to approve the May 20, 2024 meeting minutes, a second from Evan Hiester, and the motion carrying unanimously. With no further business, Barley later moved to adjourn; the motion carried and the meeting ended at 8:32 p.m.
The commission did not adopt final ordinance text at this meeting; members left several size limits as "TBD" and sign categories flagged for permit requirements. The commission indicated it will continue refining the sign ordinance at a future meeting and consider whether to initiate a separate review of short-term rental and accessory-dwelling rules after the sign work is complete.
