Staff proposes tying downtown sign rules to historic districts; commission asks for maps

Staunton planning staff recommended on June 18 that the city change how the "downtown business area" is defined in the zoning code so that special sign regulations apply to business, professional, or industrial properties located within the city’s historic districts. The recommendation would remove an inconsistently applied downtown boundary and instead tie sign rules directly to historic‑district designation.

"The DBA was intended to coincide with our historic districts ... the current boundaries ... include North Central and North Lewis, but those areas are not part of our historic districts," Tim Hart, planning manager, said. Hart said the mismatch creates uncertainty when staff issues sign permits because historic‑district sign rules, rather than entrance‑corridor regulations, must sometimes apply.

Commissioners broadly favored simplifying the code language and changing the term from "downtown business area" to something clearer such as "historic district sign regulations." They asked staff to prepare a map that shows the entrance corridor, the historic district boundaries, and the areas that led staff to propose the change. One commissioner also raised concerns about naming conventions and asked that the revised draft refer to a single authoritative boundary definition to avoid inconsistent references across the code.

Staff told the commission it will revise the draft language and prepare maps for inclusion in a public‑hearing packet; if commissioners approve the revised draft, staff will schedule a public hearing at a future meeting.

The change is administrative in scope — it clarifies where existing historic‑district sign standards apply rather than adding new substantive restrictions for businesses; staff indicated existing businesses would be grandfathered where appropriate.