Peachtree City’s latest sign ordinance has bumped real estate directional signs, and yard sale signs, from the city’s right of way areas.

But city staff are preparing a new amendment to the sign ordinance that would allow only those two types of signs, and of course limit their size and appearance.

City Attorney Ted Meeker has said such a change would make the city’s sign ordinance more susceptible to a legal challenge because federal courts have consistently ruled that cities cannot regulate signs based on their content.

At the Oct. 20 council meeting, Meeker proposed an ordinance that allowed for real estate directional signs, yard sale signs and two other categories of signs. Other commercial signs and non-commercial speech would have been allowed for up to 14 days each, and they would have to meet the same aesthetic guidelines as the real estate directional signs:

• Color is limited to brown and “buff”;
• Size is limited to a maximum of 12 inches tall and 15 inches wide;
• Total height including stake shall be no more than 30 inches.

Council declined to adopt that ordinance amendment and instead tabled the matter so the proposal could be revised. Several council members said they favored crafting right of way exemptions for real estate and yard sale signs only.

Councilman Steve Rapson noted that Peachtree City could argue its uniqueness if such an ordinance was ever tested in court.

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