Summit County Council narrows sign code to keep digital displays in check

The Kimball Junction McDonald's, whose digital drive-thru signage was the original impetus for Summit County's updated sign ordinance. Photo: TownLift

Ordinance 1010 passed unanimously Wednesday after members pushed for tighter limits on where lit screens can go

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Summit County Council members on Wednesday unanimously approved an update to Snyderville Basin sign regulations, tightening the ordinance to prevent digital displays from spreading beyond their intended use.

The discussion centered on Ordinance 1010, a code amendment staff said grew out of an earlier exception for digital drive-thru signage at the McDonald’s in Kimball Junction. Senior Planner Amir Caus brought the amendment forward on behalf of county staff.

Staff said the amendment was also intended to address fuel station signage, clarify code language, and strengthen enforcement provisions for temporary pop-up signs.

The update follows earlier Planning Commission discussion of limited changes tied to digital menu boards, gas price signs, and resort-related displays, while preserving dark-sky and visual standards. But by the time the proposal reached the council on Wednesday, members signaled they wanted a tighter version than the draft before them.

Council member Roger Armstrong voiced the clearest concern, warning against language that could unintentionally create a broader opening for digital displays. He said he wanted to avoid a situation where the county would “inadvertently open this up” and suddenly see displays “all over the place.”

That concern became the central issue of the night.

Council members and staff worked through whether the ordinance language was narrow enough to keep digital displays limited to the uses the county was actually trying to allow — chiefly fuel pricing and drive-thru menu boards — rather than opening a loophole for other digital advertising.

Caus told the council the proposal was intended to be conservative. Staff recommended brightness limits of 2,000 nits during daytime hours and 200 nits at night, and Caus said the county had done extensive research on lighting standards as part of the update. He also noted that Scenic Utah, which worked with staff on the amendment, had urged the council to consider even lower nighttime brightness.

The amendment also included changes meant to support code enforcement officers in removing temporary pop-up signs. Caus said officers in other jurisdictions have been accused of theft when removing such signs and that the county wanted to make that section of the code clearer.

Council members also raised questions about whether the language might accidentally allow digital display screens beyond the intended categories, including at gas pumps or in future commercial areas. Staff said they could continue refining the language, and the council discussed erring on the side of a more restrictive version for now.

After that discussion, Armstrong moved to approve Ordinance 1010 “with the ordinance contained in the packet changes.” Council member Chris Robinson seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.