Des Moines allows illuminated signs, will consider vape store limits
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Des Moines has approved an ordinance change that allows illuminated signs on building canopies or awnings, marking a shift from a previous ban.
Why it matters: Brighter signage may help businesses stand out, but it also raises concerns about light pollution and safety.
- More changes are possible in the coming months to rein in the growth of electronic or illuminated signs by businesses like vape shops and to reduce red tape that has jeopardized historic signage.
Catch up quick: Des Moines' last major sign ordinance overhaul followed a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found sign regulations based on content unconstitutional.
- That decision forced cities nationwide, including Des Moines, to focus rules on sign size, placement and lighting rather than messaging.
Driving the news: The City Council this month reversed the illumination ban, partly because the city's board of adjustment routinely granted most exceptions to the rule.
- The allowances for canopies and awnings are part of an ongoing effort to reduce barriers for businesses.
Zoom in: The council also simplified rules that exclude murals from a ban prohibiting most painted signs, aiming to eliminate the red tape associated with art.
The intrigue: In a separate move earlier this year, the City Council made a targeted exception to allow electronic video signs at the Iowa Events Center.
- But officials say they want to keep those exceptions narrow due to concerns about driver distraction.
What we're watching: How the city handles possible future restrictions against vape store signage, which council members Mike Simonson and Chris Coleman said have become overly burdensome in some neighborhoods.
- The city could face legal challenges to limits on newer types of electronic signage, which have not been widely tested in previous court cases, Erik Lundy, the city's deputy director of neighborhood services, told the council last month.
- One possible option is to more closely regulate sign brightness, he said.
What they're saying: "This is an issue where I think our residents would appreciate us testing the limits. If we've got to be the case study on this one, so be it," Coleman said.
What's next: Lundby told the council that his staff's review is ongoing.
- A timeline for changes has yet to be established.