2018.02.26 Council Agenda Item 08

On July 24, 2017, the Town Council adopted amendments to the Town’s signage regulations in an effort to bring them into compliance with the 2015 Reed v Gilbert Supreme Court decision prohibiting content-based signage.  The signage amendments that were adopted, among other things, introduced new standards related to maximum lettering size for signs in certain zoning districts.  At the November 27, 2017 Council meeting, the Council discussed a request to relax the maximum lettering size requirement for wall signs in the VC Districts.  The Council subsequently referred the matter to the CDC.  The CDC discussed this issue at their December 7, 2017 meeting and supported an approach to relax the maximum lettering size requirement for wall signs in the VC Districts by allowing the permitting authority the ability to consider a sign’s location in relation to the street when determining what an appropriate lettering size should be.  The proposed ordinance amendment was introduced at the January 22, 2018 Council meeting. 

Attached are the ordinance amendment introduction letter, a summary of the Planning Board MRA Hearing, and the proposed ordinance language.