Trustees approve sign-code changes to allow larger monument and temporary signs

Trustees voted unanimously Sept. 3 to approve amendments to Chapter 7 of the township sign code, a package of revisions zoning staff said will reduce the number of variances and make temporary and monument signage more visible from roadways. Zoning presenter Mike Lad told the board the most visible change was aligning many sign allowances around a 32-square-foot standard instead of the smaller limits previously used.

"So if you got a temporary sign, 32 is ... big enough where you could see it coming down the road," Mike Lad said, noting that the prior six-square-foot standard for some temporary signs was difficult to read at speed. The package also removed an obsolete town-center subsection that staff said had not been enforced for years and could create legal issues with First Amendment protections for political signs.

The zoning commission reviewed the draft and recommended approval, and regional planning also examined the ordinance for compliance. With no public comments at the hearing, the board adopted the amendments by roll call vote. The changes are intended to reduce routine variance requests for announcement signs and simplify enforcement. The board did not specify an effective implementation date during the meeting; staff said details and enforcement procedures will be provided to the public once clerical updates are completed.

Trustees Mike, Sue and Nick voted in favor; there were no recorded dissents.