Westfield APC forwards sign-code update to City Council

Lauren Gillingham Teague, a planner with the Community Development Department, presented a package of amendments to the city’s Unified Development Ordinance related to signs and directed the commission to consider forwarding a recommendation to City Council.

Teague said staff prepared a clean ordinance, a redline and a UDO redline showing how the amendments change the existing code. She acknowledged a correction to the clean version: a drive-through use had been mistakenly included in the district nonresidential definition and was removed.

At a high level, the proposed amendments refine the agricultural, residential and nonresidential definitions; add the phrase “temporary storage container” to the list of locations where signs are prohibited; and create limited director discretion for some “incidental signs” — signs that are difficult to classify but are necessary for directional or safety reasons. “The director shall have the discretion to determine whether a sign is an incidental sign based upon the visibility, the location, and then the presence of a commercial message,” Teague said. She cited hospitals as an example where monument directional signs may be needed but are not intended to attract customers.

The proposed prohibition on temporary storage containers is intended to prevent banners and similar signage from being placed on metal storage pods (for example, those sometimes set near retail loading areas). Teague said staff also refined maintenance standards to allow enforcement action for signs in long-term disrepair.

Commissioner Mooney asked how often the code would be reviewed; Teague recommended an annual review to evaluate what worked and what did not and noted it is common for planning departments to do an end-of-year review.

Councilor McCarty moved to forward a favorable recommendation to City Council for case 2601-ZOA-01; Mister Khan seconded. Staff conducted a roll call and all present commissioners voted yes. The commission’s recommendation will be placed on a future City Council agenda for consideration.

Next steps: City Council will receive the commission’s recommendation; any public hearing or council action will be scheduled separately by the City Council. The APC chair noted the comprehensive plan hearing was removed from this evening’s agenda and remains pending scheduling.