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Denison council seeks compromise on sign ordinance; staff to meet with developers before July 13 update
Summary
City staff presented a multi‑year rewrite of Denison’s sign ordinance, proposing to limit new pole signs outside a mapped corridor and create a sign board and waiver process; developers warned the draft could deter anchors such as grocery stores, and council asked staff to meet stakeholders and return a project update on July 13.
Denison — City staff on Tuesday presented a comprehensive rewrite of Denison’s sign ordinance intended to modernize standards, strengthen enforcement and maintenance rules, and create a new sign board to hear waivers and appeals.
Diane York, who led the presentation, said staff has been working on the rewrite since 2023 and that the draft would expand permitted sign types, add a section to accommodate vintage signs outside the downtown commercial historic overlay, and map a polygon where pole (pylon) signs would be allowed by right. York told council the draft proposes to prohibit construction of new pole signs outside that mapped area to “retain as much of Denison’s natural character and to prevent visual clutter along our corridors” and that the ordinance includes a waiver path modeled on existing variance processes so businesses with demonstrated hardship could seek relief.
The presentation leaned on comparisons with North Texas cities that limit pole signs in some corridors, York said, and emphasized that the rewrite also contains provisions aimed at giving staff tools to address dilapidated or obsolete signs.
Developers and brokers at the public‑comment portion urged caution. Tom Johnson, developer of Gateway Village, said he reviewed the draft only recently and identified “14 major points” of concern. He warned the way the ordinance is written could block large tenants and scuttle planned retail: “If we’re successful ... get a grocery store, this sign ordinance as written now will prohibit that — it will kill it,” Johnson said, and he volunteered to meet with staff to provide detailed input.
Bill Wowski, a commercial broker with decades of experience, told council that pole signs are “very critical to most of the retailers that we represent” on high‑speed corridors and recommended graduated standards: allow taller, visible signs where traffic moves fast and require monument signs closer to downtown. Britain Langford of the Woodmont Company and other developers similarly asked that the Highway 75 corridor be included in any allowance for pole signs because of grade changes and visibility constraints for prospective tenants.
At the same time, Kurt Shakowski, chair of the Historic Preservation Board and a planning‑and‑zoning committee member, urged the council to consider overlay districts and noted that many drivers now use GPS rather than looking to roadside pole signs. Several council members said they want clear, unambiguous district rules so that property owners and developers know what to expect.
Council did not take action. Instead, members directed staff to convene a smaller stakeholder meeting (the task force and interested developers such as Gateway Village representatives) to refine the ordinance language and waiver parameters, and to return a project update on July 13. Staff said it could amend the current ordinance to add enforcement and penalty language if council wants staff to start addressing dilapidated signs while the broader rewrite continues.
Next steps: staff will arrange the stakeholder meeting and bring revised language and options for corridor boundaries, heights and enforcement back to council at the July 13 project update. No ordinance amendments were adopted at the work session.
