Milwaukie’s Planning Commission recommended City Council approve amendments to the Milwaukie Sign Ordinance related to electronic display signs at its Sept. 13, 2011 meeting.
Commissioners made two changes to the proposed amendments before forwarding them to City Council. First, the cap on electronic billboards was increased from 25% to 50% of the billboard's total size. The overall size limit of 50 square feet was not changed. The second change was to decrease the time that a message is displayed before it can change from a minimum of three hours to two minutes for signs over 20 square feet in size.
City Council will hold a hearing on these amendments on Tues., Oct.18, 2011, at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.
The Milwaukie Planning Commission had asked staff to prepare a package of code amendments to accomplish two things: loosen the strict rules regarding signage along McLoughlin Boulevard in the Downtown area, and add new rules to put parameters around electronic billboards in other commercial and industrial areas. The amendments recognize that downtown properties fronting McLoughlin Boulevard are different than those closer to Main Street, so the amendments will allow properties along McLoughlin to install small electronic reader board signs. These are currently prohibited throughout downtown.
The amendments pertaining to electronic billboards limit their size and clarify how the City regulates moving and electronic signs. The proposed amendments recommend capping the size of electronic billboards at 50 square feet, or at 50% of the billboard’s total size. Additionally, the amendments stipulate how bright the electronic display can be, how long messages should be displayed for before rotating, and prohibit video displays and flashing or scrolling text.
Those with questions or who are seeking additional information about the amendments can contact Ryan Marquardt, Associate Planner, at (503) 786-7658 or marquardtr@ci.milwaukie.or.us.
