Title
An Ordinance to Amend Sections 5.16.4, 5.16.6, 5.24, 5.29.2, 5.33.2, 5.35.2, 5.36.2 and 5.37 of Chapter 55 (Unified Development Code) Of Title V of The Code Of The City Of Ann Arbor - Sign Regulations (ORD-20-27)
Memorandum
In 2017, the City started work on updates to the City's Sign Ordinance. The resulting product for this work seeks to modernize City sign regulations and philosophically approaches sign regulation from a content-neutral regulatory framework, consistent with recent Supreme Court law. This approach establishes regulations for signage that balance the opportunity for expression while establishing and defining the City's regulatory intentions.
In 2017, the City contracted with Giffels Webster to provide consulting services to assist in updating the City's Sign Ordinance. Giffels Webster provided the City with primary research, model ordinances, conducted community engagement (both online and in person), draft ordinance, and has provided ongoing consultation services as the work nears these completion stages. Additional survey work was conducted in the past year at the direction of the Planning Commission, specific to signage in residential areas.
The attached Ordinance is the result of a long period of evaluation and amendments by both City Planning and Attorney Staff, as well as feedback and direction from the Historic District Commission, Downtown Development Authority, and of course, the Planning Commission.
The Planning Commission's ongoing review of the ordinance resulted in many changes and refinements that are now provided in the Ordinance. The fundamental approach to this ordinance is distinct from the City's current sign regulations in that it seeks to eliminate regulation of signs that could be deemed content-based (e.g. political signs will not have distinct requirements from real estate signs) to ensure consistency with current law. Additionally, the ordinance relies upon underlying zoning districts to delineate the type...
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