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Langley plans six-month public process to update design standards and sign code
Summary
City planning director proposed a coordinated update to design standards and the sign code to comply with state law and the U.S. Supreme Court’s Reed v. Town of Gilbert decision, including a photo-based public engagement exercise and a technical advisory group; staff aims to draft in April for adoption by June.
Director Meredith Penny told council the city must update design standards within six months of adopting its comprehensive plan and that the state requires objective, ascertainable development regulations rather than subjective guidelines.
"Your design standards need to be more ascertainable or measurable in some way," Penny said, explaining that the move toward objective criteria (density, height, bulk, window sizing and placement) is intended to improve predictability and reduce ad hoc discretionary decision making. She also described a parallel sign-code update to comply with Reed v. Town of Gilbert that will focus regulations on time, place and manner (size, height, placement and duration) rather than content.
Penny proposed a six-month engagement plan starting in February with a photo-based exercise asking residents to submit images of Langley buildings they favor, formation of a technical advisory group with business and design stakeholders, targeted outreach to the design review board and historic-preservation commission, and a drafting window in April with adoption targeted for June. Council members discussed whether to retain a design-review board or move more reviews to administrative staff once standards are objective.
