Troutdale planners ask staff to propose clarifying sign‑code amendments for feather/flag signs

Planning staff reported a recurring code‑compliance problem with feather or teardrop flags—portable fabric signs used by businesses—during the commission’s April 29 meeting and asked for direction on whether to pursue code amendments.

Staff said the current code language (definitions and the list of prohibited signs) creates interpretive ambiguity. Staff’s working interpretation treats feather flags as temporary banner signs subject to the city’s temporary‑banner permitting rules (30 calendar days per permit, up to 90 days per calendar year, one sign per street frontage, and not in the right‑of‑way). "We’re treating them like temporary banner signs based on the definition language," staff said, noting that enforcement and consistent interpretation have been difficult.

Commissioners discussed options including prohibiting feather flags outright in some zones, stricter enforcement, or applying different rules by zone (for example, more restrictive in downtown/commercial corridors and more flexible in higher‑density residential leasing contexts). Some commissioners expressed concern about proliferation near public rights‑of‑way and sight‑line safety along Historic Columbia River Highway; others noted the economic reality for small businesses that rely on inexpensive portable signage.

The commission directed staff to draft clarifying amendments to the sign code that address feather/flag signs, enforcement approach, and zone‑specific rules, and to return with a proposal and public‑outreach plan in the coming months. Staff said the code revisions could be prepared within a few months and would come back for further discussion and public hearings as required.