Our Man In Arlington 4-30-2026

With recent columns about public playgrounds and public art, this week I thought I would tackle another “public” theme: public signage.  It is a topic that has been a controversial challenge for County officials for one hundred years.  Back in the late 1920’s, before there was a zoning ordinance, County officials and activists were concerned about the rapid increase in the number of billboards near the two bridges (Key Bridge and Long Bridge), and on the roads heading westward from those bridges (Lee Highway and Columbia Pike). This concern helped bring about the creation of our first zoning ordinance in 1930, which was sixteen pages in length, with only a few references to signs. 

By 1942, the zoning ordinance consisted of eighty-three pages, with a separate section devoted to signs. Billboards must have become a bit more complex by then, as this new provision was added: “Signs or billboards which involve motion or rotation of any part, or display flashing or intermittent lights, are prohibited.” Today the zoning ordinance is 437 pages, with sixty-six pages devoted to signs. Sign ordinances are changing constantly, to address new technology, and old issues. The most recent controversy relates to a long-standing concern about the proliferation of political signs in the public medians during each primary and general election cycle. 

In March, the County staff proposed several changes to sign ordinances, including a proposal to ban political signs in our medians. At the March 14 County Board meeting, there was a spirited discussion about this proposal, which elicited some interesting perspectives during the public comment sessions. Two recent candidates, who were not successful in primary elections, offered differing viewpoints (ranging from free speech issues to safety concerns). One citizen complained that a ban favored incumbents; another citizen stated that the current system favored incumbents. During the Board discussion, Maureen Coffey was the only Board member to support a full ban on the signage, pointing out safety and environmental concerns, and noting that other local jurisdictions had such signage bans. In the end, the County Board amended the current regulation, by a vote of 4 to 1, to continue to allow these signs, with a limit of one sign per median, allowing signs to be placed up to 45 days before an election. 

The placement of political signs in medians was prohibited during the second half of the 20th century. There was a lawsuit challenging the ban, filed in federal court in 1985 by a Republican candidate, asserting the constitutional issue of free speech. Judge Albert Bryan ruled the prohibition was lawful, noting that Arlington had “an interest in preventing visual pollution… and protecting public safety.” The constitutionality of a ban has been upheld by the United States Supreme Court. 

I would note that in 2003, the County Board amended the sign ordinance to allow for political signs in public medians (allowing two signs per median, up to 31 days before an election, with a requirement for removal within five days). It will be interesting to follow the results of this most recent amendment, as 2026 will have many opportunities for political signs, with a County Board election, and two separate Congressional elections (if the recent redistricting survives a lawsuit to overturn the referendum results). The primaries alone could give us more than two dozen candidates. And there are three constitutional amendments on the November ballot, which will no doubt increase the number of signs being placed on our public medians. Questions abound: How crowded will it get? Will candidates abide by the “one per median” law? Will the signs be removed on time? And will it be possible for County employees to mow the grass on those medians? Stay tuned. 

Meanwhile, I came away with a new perspective on the safety issue, thanks to Maureen Coffey, who noted the danger of people running into a public median to place a sign. By allowing such signage, it seems to me that the County is enabling and encouraging thousands of instances of illegal activity – that is, jaywalking to get to the public median!