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Moab planning panel reviews simplified sign-code redlines, seeks clarity on lighting rules
Summary
City planning staff presented redlines to simplify Moab's sign code, cross-reference the outdoor lighting ordinance (MOLO), and clarify temporary and freestanding sign rules; commissioners raised enforcement and character trade-offs and asked staff for visuals and examples before a vote.
City planning staff presented a package of redlined amendments to Moab's sign code at a July 19 workshop, proposing simpler language, removal of duplicative provisions, and better alignment with the city's outdoor lighting standards.
"These are the goals that I had in mind when amending this code," associate planner Johanna Blanco told the commission, saying staff aim to make height and size calculations easier to read and to move technical definitions into one place. Blanco said the draft would either return for more workshops or be folded into a larger code rewrite.
Community Development Director Corey Schmidt told the commission the city previously banned intermittent flashing LED signs and later carved out narrow exceptions for fuel-price boards and school-district marquees. "Once that door is opened, it's gonna be very difficult to close it for everyone," he said, urging caution about broad exemptions.
Commissioners repeatedly urged staff to avoid duplicating definitions in the sign code and the outdoor lighting ordinance (referred to in the meeting as "MOLO"); an email from former commissioner Caitlin Jones recommended cross-referencing chapter 17.09 rather than redefining lighting terms. Staff said they would pull illumination standards where sign-specific and keep a single, consolidated lighting standard where practicable.
The commission flagged several technical items for staff follow-up, including: clearer frontage calculations for corner lots, whether monument and freestanding signs should be collapsed into a single category to prevent design manipulation, and examples showing what different square-foot allowances look like at human scale. Blanco committed to providing visuals and additional draft language in coming rounds.
