While debating the last item of the evening, the Oxford Planning Commission debated and eventually removed a section prohibiting temporary banners.

The section in question discussed temporary banners, and two commissioners decided the ban was too excessive.

According to the proposed changes, the line read, “The Banners are not permitted in the ER, SR, or NR zoning districts,” which would disallow temporary banners in estate residential, suburban residential and neighborhood residential districts.

These districts are scattered around Oxford, and are the largest in the southern-most part of the city.

The proposed changes would allow one commercial banner per business, residence or other entity, and prohibits them from being raised for more than 30 days. However, permits can be issued in five-day increments.

The changes also require that banners should be no more than 20 square feet in size, should be affixed to a building and should be made of material that’s able to remain intact and presentable for public display.

Commissioners Marvin King and Judy Riddell both agreed that the final point, which prohibited banners in the aforementioned districts, was excessive, and King moved to strike that last line from the proposed changes.

However, if banners did become an issue in those districts, the commission was not opposed to rethinking the ban.

“If it becomes a repeated problem,” King said, “I would visit the initial clause.”