Title
Appl. #PL2024-072 - UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE (UDO) AMENDMENT - Updates for temporary signage standards to Article 9 Signs; City of Lee's Summit, applicant
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Issue/Request:
The intent of the proposed UDO amendment is to clarify existing temporary sign requirements, establish a time duration for temporary signs and to update the City’s requirements so the focus of the temporary sign regulations is on the sign design type as opposed to sign content.
Article 9 provides the standards and requirements for all temporary signs. The UDO defines a temporary sign as “a sign displayed for an activity having a specific duration, or the end of which is related to a specific action, usually lasting for less than 12 months at a time (Article 9, Div. III, Section 9.070.B.86).” These signs may include, but are not limited to, real estate signs, garage sale signs, political signs and grand opening signs. The UDO currently does not provide a uniform time limit for temporary signs, and in some instances allows temporary signs to remain permanently. In addition, the permitted temporary signs table is not located within the code with the other temporary sign regulations, making it difficult for the public to understand the requirements.
Another area for updating is how the UDO classifies or categorizes temporary signs. Article 9 currently regulates many temporary signs by classifying them according to their message or content instead of by sign style or type. Recent US Supreme Court case decisions have affirmed that municipalities’ sign regulations must be content neutral, meaning a municipality cannot treat certain types of signs differently than others based on their content, message or subject matter. Sign codes can regulate location, height, duration, size and number of signs, provided these regulations are not tied to the message of the sign (Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015) and City of Austin v. Reagan National Advertising of Austin, LLC (2022)).
Proposed Ci...
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