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Deephaven planners reopen sign ordinance review, debate administrative approvals and community input
Summary
The Deephaven Planning Commission discussed whether sign approvals should be handled administratively or remain subject to Conditional Use Permit review, with staff warning inconsistent treatment of businesses could prompt lawsuits; commissioners asked for tighter size rules and community input.
The Deephaven Planning Commission reopened its review of the city’s sign ordinance on April 15, 2025, discussing whether signs should continue to be reviewed through the Conditional Use Permit process or be approved administratively by staff.
Planning Director Pat Smith warned that allowing inconsistent treatment of business owners could expose the city to legal challenges, saying the City "cannot treat different business owners differently and have different requirements for signs" and recommending that routine approvals be handled administratively to reduce litigation risk. Commissioners said they value community discussion about proposed signs and expressed a preference for tight regulations, with variances available for exceptions. The commission also agreed the size of freestanding signs should be scaled to commercial property size and that open‑house signs should be allowed (open‑house signs are currently prohibited under existing rules).
Commissioners asked staff to return with detailed size regulations for the city’s three commercial zoning districts for further review. Planning Director Smith said the Planning Commission and City Council should be comfortable with any new sign regulations so they are not objectionable to residents; no regulatory changes were adopted at this meeting.
