Mayor, councilors hear proposal to move Gardner's sign rules out of zoning code

Gardner ' On April 6, 2026, the Gardner City Council and Planning Board held a joint public hearing to consider Ordinance item 11772, which would remove the city's sign regulations from chapter 675 of the zoning code and place them in a new nonzoning chapter 665.

The mayor, a co-sponsor of the proposal, told the joint body the change would not alter the substantive sign language but would "remove it from the zoning code and place it into a regular general ordinance of the city code," allowing the city to update rules more quickly in response to business feedback. He said the current placement in the zoning code imposes longer review timelines and added costs that can stall openings.

"Putting a sign on a business to advertise that business can really make or break a project," the mayor said, citing examples in which sign-dimension rules and review processes delayed installations. He referenced earlier cases including work at Tiffany Crossroads (circa 2018) and a prior kiosk at a Price Chopper lot, and said a facade-improvement program funded with American Rescue Plan Act money had higher uptake than a sign grant because the sign-review process was more burdensome. The mayor said the city had offered roughly $2,500 per sign under that program but returned unused sign funds to the federal government after low participation.

The mayor also described a West Broadway business whose sign was three inches larger than the code allowed; the proprietor faced the options of reordering the sign, pursuing a variance (including legal fees), or compromising the sign's design, and the installation was delayed about a year.

President Tyrus opened the hearing and asked members to hold questions until after members of the public could speak. The chair repeatedly invited public testimony for and against the amendment; no public commenters are recorded in the transcript.

Council Mac, identified in the transcript as a co-sponsor with the mayor, said the move would support the city's effort to be more "business-friendly" and to "streamline the permit process," adding that the change is intended to make city hall "supportive to businesses and not a hindrance." The councilor's remarks echoed the administration's emphasis on reducing procedural delays while retaining standards.

The mayor emphasized the ordinance would not eliminate design standards: he said regulations would remain, but placing signage rules in the general code would permit a faster administrative update process while continuing to allow public input through standing committees and the legislative process.

No formal vote or motion on Ordinance 11772 is recorded in the transcript. The joint public hearing was declared closed at the end of the meeting; the transcript does not show subsequent committee referral or final action.

Background and next steps: The public hearing notice cited General Laws 40A, subsection 5, and announced the hearing location (City Hall, room 219, 95 Pleasant Street). Materials and associated maps were made available in the city clerk's office, the Department of Community Development and Planning, and on the city website. Any future changes to the sign rules would continue to require public meetings and legislative approval according to the mayor's remarks.