TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Commercial advertisements could soon be appearing in Twin Falls residential neighborhoods as city officials work to update decades-old sign regulations.
The proposed changes would simplify the city's sign code and allow temporary commercial signs in residential areas, a shift from current restrictions that limit most commercial signage to business zones.
"Cities are not allowed to regulate the message on the sign, but it can regulate time, place, and manner — when it's up, where it's located, and how large the sign is," said Jonathan Spendlove, a city official involved in the code revision.
The update aims to comply with a 2015 Supreme Court precedent that equated temporary signs to free speech, requiring cities to treat all messages equally regardless of content.
Hear how this code decision could affect everyone living in Twin Falls:
Twin Falls has historically limited billboards and commercial signage to reduce visual clutter. Under current regulations, businesses can only display signs on properties where commercial activity takes place.
"We went through a process in the early 2000s to make off-site or off-premise signage not permitted any longer. So the billboards you see are allowed as non-conforming. You won't see more of them unless the law changed," Spendlove said.
The only current exception to this rule is for real estate open house signs in residential areas. The proposed code update would extend similar permissions to all temporary commercial signs.
The revised code dramatically simplifies existing regulations, reducing 65 pages down to 16 and consolidating 45 types of signs into just 8 categories.
The title ten code rewrite will undergo additional public hearings before the city council votes on it later this year.
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