Germantown is cracking down on signage and spaces for temporary parking, and city leaders will welcome input about the problem during a Monday meeting.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses provided curbside pickup spaces for customers to drive up and have items brought to their car by the business’ employees. Some stores also provided short-term spots for customers.

Now that restrictions have eased after the pandemic, the Design Review Commission would like to see a more uniform direction on the signs.

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The Board of Mayor and Aldermen will consider the amendment on the second of three required readings at its meeting Monday night. A public hearing will accompany the second reading. The change won’t become effective until a third reading. 

Cameron Ross, Germantown’s economic and community development director, said if the change is approved by the board on the third and final reading, businesses will have 120 days to comply.

Germantown already has standards for lettering on buildings and ground-mounted signs and would like to have some consistency on the curbside pickup signs. Many businesses have several spots designated for pickup only for their customers or for a specific time limit. The city classifies those spaces as temporary and thus not permitted as permanent signs.

While some businesses have asked the city about installing such markers, others have done so without seeking permission. The DRC is seeking an amendment to the sign ordinance to address the situation.

If a shopping center has 20 acres of land and a 200,000-square-foot building, it can have five short-term parking spaces for a big-box store. However, if there is a small strip of stores within the same development, they can also have up to five short-term parking spaces, but they cannot be specific to a business. The placement is up to the property manager. If a property manager wants to have a sign specific to a business, an application must be made to the DRC.

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Shopping centers with more than 8 but less than 20 acres of land and include a building with a gross area between 70,000 and 200,000 square feet can have five short-term parking spaces for big-box stores near the closest customer entrance.

Retail centers between 30,000 square feet and 70,000 square feet can have three short-term parking signs. 

The draft ordinance addresses sign size, and the DRC must approve the post or column on which the sign will be placed.