Reno Is Preparing Regulations for School Digital Signs

The city is moving forward with changes to Reno’s sign code to allow all public and private schools to replace their signs with digital versions.

Join us in telling our city and school officials that digital signs rotating messages every eight seconds until 10 p.m., 365 days a year shouldn’t be allowed in our neighborhoods.

Sign your name to the letter below which will be forwarded to the Reno Planning Commission, Reno City Council, Washoe County Superintendent and School Board Trustees.

School District Is Requesting the Change

Right now, no one in Reno, including schools, can have a digital sign within 750 feet of a residentially zoned property without public hearings and a conditional use permit. This law has worked to protect residential neighborhoods, where most Washoe County schools are located, from day-and-night digital signs.

But that’s about to change. City staff will submit a set of digital sign regulations for approval to the Reno Planning Commission on May 8, according to the city. While the staff’s final draft won’t be released until at least April 25, the  current draft shows regulations, that if approved, we believe would forever change the character of residential neighborhoods.

According to the district’s website, there are 108 public schools in Washoe County. The number of private schools is unknown. Some schools may be allowed two digital signs per campus. That many new digital signs will create a huge impact on our neighborhoods.

See the comparison chart below for the current draft regulations and Scenic Nevada’s requests.

The regulations were developed by city staff after a school district request and meetings between the city, the school district and Scenic Nevada over the last several months. We agree with some proposed regulations but are opposed to others. The most egregious includes eight-second rotating messages and operating digital signs into the night when schools are not in session and long after schools close for the day.

Lend Your Voice to the Discussion

The city staff’s effort is part of an overhaul of the entire city sign code which began back in 2023. You may recall that staff had prepared changes to the sign code to allow any business – from pawn shops to liquor stores – in the downtown district in addition to casinos to have 100-foot-tall signs with no limit on number, size or types of lighting, including giant digital video screens.

Thankfully, and with the help of your letters, that provision has been struck from the staff’s current draft. If approved, only casinos will be allowed unlimited signage. All other downtown businesses will be limited to sign controls provided now for other mixed-use districts, which is exactly what we requested.

City staff said changes have been made to the current draft, but they haven’t released those changes. Will they be worse or better? We just don’t know yet. See the current draft. But we do know what we want and hope you will join us in asking the city to approve our requests.

We also know that your letters helped convince the city to tone down unlimited sign allowances. Your voice may help again with regulations for school district digital signs. Please sign the letter today. We’ll send a follow-up alert as soon as we have a copy of the final draft.

Proposed Digital Regulation Comparison Chart

Please write your public officials today. Thank you for your participation. It will make a difference.