Background:
As part of the Auburn SPARKS planning process, the City is presently reviewing the City Zoning Code (Section 305) in preparation of comprehensive zoning code revisions. Adoption of the revised zoning code is anticipated within the next three to six months. The revised code will support an efficient development process while providing clear requirements for development within the City. These revised requirements, which reflect the community’s wishes regarding development, are the result of community participation through the development of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Auburn SPARKS.
Specifically with regards to signage, there is a desire to provide the opportunity for clean, clear, and minimal signage to support business needs, while eliminating excessive signage or signage that may be considered unsuitable within the City. Strategy B16 of the Comprehensive Plan seeks to prohibit billboards within the city limits, as billboards are not generally in keeping with the nature of Auburn’s urban and historic character.
It is staff’s intention to amend Section 305 of the City Code to include a prohibition on billboards in order to bring the City Code in line with the goals of the Comprehensive Plan. However, in the meantime, there appears to be increased interest in the reconstruction or the installation of new billboards within the City. Recently, a variance was granted to convert an existing billboard on the arterial to a digital-style billboard.
Staff is concerned that the installation of any new billboards, at this time, will only serve to create additional nonconformities within the City at the time the revised zoning code is adopted. These non-conforming signs would then need to be phased-out and remove over a period of time at additional cost to the sign developers. Staff is asking that the City Council adopt the attached resolution placing a moratorium on the issuance of permits and installation of advertising signs with in the City.
Fiscal Implications:
No direct fiscal implications to the City.