Fairmont planning director outlines full rewrite of city sign code

Shay Strait, director of planning and development for the City of Fairmont, said the city is proposing to repeal and fully replace Article 5.3 — the municipal sign code — with a new 12-section ordinance intended to make rules simpler for businesses, residents and sign companies.

"We are proposing to repeal and fully replace Article 5.3, which is the sign code within the city of Fairmont," Strait said, framing the rewrite as an attempt to support local businesses and reduce the confusion he said exists in the current code. The packet for the planning commission contains the full page‑by‑page proposed text and the existing code for comparison, Strait said.

The rewrite consolidates roughly 20 subsections into 12 named sections covering purpose and general regulations, permits and procedures, heritage signs, nonconforming signs, prohibited signs, measurement, illumination, on‑premise signs, permanent exempt signs, temporary exempt signs, and off‑premise (billboard) signs. Strait said the new on‑premise section will list 13 specific sign types and provide a one‑page, graphic guide for each.

The proposal would create a new heritage‑sign category to allow preservation of painted or historic commercial signs—Strait cited the Belmont Motor Lodge example—and require the city to keep a registry identifying which signs qualify. Nonconforming signs would be governed by a shorter two‑paragraph standard that lets owners maintain and, in some cases, relocate signs so long as they do not become more nonconforming.

Measurement and illumination are central changes. Strait described four illumination types the code addresses—external, internal, direct and electronic message centers—and said the illumination section had been expanded with technical measurement standards drawn from national practice to balance business needs with public‑safety concerns.

On‑premise sign rules would tie allowable sign area to zoning intensity and right‑of‑way frontage, so corner properties may receive area allowances for each frontage. Strait described examples of permitted on‑premise types, including awning, projecting/blade, canopy, iconic (three‑dimensional) and marquee signs, as well as monument, pole, porch, port, roof, skyline, wall and yard signs.

Several categories of signs would be 'permanent exempt'—allowed but not requiring a permit. Strait said window clings would be exempt but limited to covering no more than 30% of total window area. "For the first time ever, the barber pole will be a permitted exempt sign," Strait said, adding that barber poles must not create pedestrian hazards and may extend no more than four inches into a walkway.

Strait emphasized sidewalk signs as a special case: although treated as on‑premise signs, they are exempt from permits but must not block pedestrian routes. "The most important thing about sidewalk signs is that you maintain a 5‑foot width and clearance and you do not let them block doors," he said. In response to audience questions, he confirmed the rule also limits how far a sidewalk sign can be from a business: "the maximum distance a sidewalk sign can be from the main entrance of a business is only 5 feet," and that applies even for special events; he noted the slide had omitted that detail but it is included in the online packet.

Temporary exempt signs (short‑term event, campaign or advocacy signs) and regulated temporary signs such as construction and realtor wayfinding are also included. Strait said the code is more permissive for realtors, allowing one wayfinding sign up to one intersection away from the property in addition to a sign on the property itself.

Off‑premise sign (billboard) regulations would be adjusted: some provisions are slightly more permissive while others become more restrictive. Strait said billboards on private land that are visible from interstates and billboards in industrial districts would be allowed under specified conditions, including rules for wall‑ or rooftop‑mounted billboards.

Strait closed the presentation by directing attendees to fairmontwv.gov for the full packet and said staff would remain until 6:30 p.m. to take questions; a public hearing before the planning commission was scheduled for 7:00 p.m. that evening.

Next steps: the planning commission public hearing and subsequent planning commission or City Council action will determine whether the proposed text amendments advance toward formal adoption.