Take Action: Tell City of Reno "NO" to Digital Neighborhood Signage
The Reno Planning Commission will hold a public hearing May 8 to review proposed regulations that once approved would allow public and private schools to erect digital signs flipping messages every eight seconds until 10 p.m., 365 days a year, in residential zones citywide – a first for Reno.
Join us in telling our city and public school officials that digital signs with constantly rotating messages shouldn’t be allowed in our neighborhoods. Sign the letter below.
School District Proposed the Change
Right now, no one in Reno, including schools, can have a digital sign within 750 feet of a residentially zoned property without a public hearing 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. The proposed 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 long after schools are closed for the day and when schools are not in session on weekends, holidays and school breaks.
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 residential neighborhoods.
See the comparison chart below for the proposed regulations and Scenic Nevada’s requests.
Your Voice is Important
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.
We know that your letters helped convince the city to tone down unlimited sign allowances. Your voice may help again with regulations for school digital signs. Please sign the letter today.
Proposed Digital Regulation Comparison Chart
| City’s Current Draft | Scenic Nevada’s Position | Scenic Nevada’s Request |
| Eight-second rotation | Opposed | 15-minute rotation |
| Hours of operation are from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., 365 days a year | Opposed | Hours should be 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., or until the last school event ends; active only during school sessions (sign inactive on weekends, holidays, and school breaks) |
| Schools with two street frontages can have two digital signs in some areas | Opposed | One digital sign per school |
| Height, sign style, square footage based on zoning district; digital portion limited to 32 square feet | Opposed | Monument style only, 6 foot maximum height, 32 square feet total sign area. |
| No video display, flashing or blinking | In favor | We would add no scrolling, pops of color, and also require instantaneous changes between messages. |
| Nighttime brightness level is limited to 150 | In favor | Agreed, nighttime nits should be limited to 150. Nits measure the brightness level. The higher the nits the brighter the sign. |
Please write to your public officials today or attend the May 8 public hearing. Thank you for your participation. It will make a difference.