The Maple Valley Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend amending the city’s sign code to the City Council, specifically permitting businesses and civic and community events to have one A-frame or A-board sign.

The amendment was put before the commission in early November by city staff and the commission took comment during a public hearing Dec. 4. The amendment will be put before the City Council in 2014 for approval.

Currently A-board signs are not permitted in the city.

John Strandberg, senior planner for Maple Valley, wrote in an email that the amendment to the code will create equality for businesses and events in regards to use of A-board signs and will create a new sign category, portable signs, which will also include other kinds of temporary signs.

The sign code was developed collaboratively in 1997 with local businesses and adopted in 1999.

There was one attempt to update the code in the mid 2000s but that effort stalled in 2008.

During the summer the city stepped up enforcement of its sign code much to the frustration of business owners.

The city’s attention was drawn to the issue of out of compliance A-boards and other non-compliant signage throughout the city’s commercial areas after several complaints were received, City Manager David Johnston said in June.

“We’ve never not enforced our sign ordinance,” Johnston told the Maple Valley City Council at the June 10 Council meeting.

Business owners reported receiving letters about out of compliance signs and some said they saw a drop in business when they had to take their signs down.

Strandberg wrote that the city decided to take another look at the code, “partially due to recent court cases and citizens’ requests.”