Big Rapids planning commission reviews sweeping sign ordinance changes, including new illumination limits

City of Big Rapids planning commissioners spent their work session reviewing a comprehensive overhaul of the city's sign regulations that would emphasize content‑neutral rules and tighter illumination limits.

The presenter said the draft reorganizes sign standards, putting definitions and measurement examples directly in Article 7 and converting narrative rules into tables to make the code easier to use. "If you have to read the sign to determine if it meets your ordinance or not, then you're...not legal," the presenter said, warning that the First Amendment requires the city to regulate signs by size, height, location and lighting rather than by message.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the proposed changes aim to reduce light pollution, improve downtown character and provide clearer guidance for sign companies and permit reviewers. Among the notable proposals are a curfew on illumination from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. unless the premises are open for business, new numeric limits for monument and wall signs, rules to treat billboards as freestanding signs, and clarified treatment of nonconforming signs.

Key details: - Illumination: The draft would generally prohibit sign illumination between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless the business is open; staff described the change as a way to cut light pollution and emphasized some uses (hospitals, shelters, facilities accepting people overnight) would be evaluated as "open for business." Commission discussion noted the practical enforcement challenges for existing 24/7‑lit signs and the common municipal practice of allowing nonconforming signs to remain until altered.

- Digital signs and brightness: The ordinance adds language for digital displays, recommending brightness measured in nits with automatic dimming sensors tied to ambient light; staff said an 8‑second minimum message hold time is typical for changeable electronic signs.

- Window, neon and projected copy: The draft proposes that sign copy projected onto a screen or displayed on interior TVs should not function as window signage visible from the street. The consultant and commissioners debated how neon, interior backlit business signs and TV displays will be defined and which exemptions (neon used as identity/decoration) will apply.

- Types and sizes: Wall signage would remain calculated as 1.5 times the frontage; monument signs were discussed at roughly 60 square feet in existing language with smaller allowances for single‑tenant spaces (a common reduction to 48 square feet was noted). Pylon signs would be restricted in downtown areas in favor of shorter monument styles.

- Temporary and novelty signs: The draft keeps temporary signs tied to specific purposes (election, sale, real‑estate) and leaves quantity limits in commercial areas while avoiding strict numeric limits in residential zones to respect free‑speech concerns. Wind signs ("wacky‑waving" inflatables) and banner sizes will be examined relative to similar communities; staff said banners should remain temporary.

- Vehicles and trailers used as signage: The presenter explained that a vehicle parked and used solely as an advertisement would be treated as a portable sign rather than a motor vehicle, and thus regulated under the sign rules.

Commission response and next steps: Commissioners asked staff to clarify several definitions ("open for business," "window sign," illumination/ neon treatment) and to add figures showing measurement and clear‑vision setbacks. Staff said they will survey ordinances in similarly sized communities for reasonable banner and wind‑sign dimensions, refine neon/window exclusions, and return with revised language. The work session ended without votes; the draft will be further edited before possible public hearings.