Businesses smarting from the recession recently approached Auburn officials with a request for increased regulatory flexibility for portable and temporary signs.

Their idea was to stimulate local business activities during the economic downturn.

On Tuesday, the City Council changed the sign code to allow businesses in the commercial and industrial districts temporarily to display more signs and allow greater flexibility for portable signs, temporary signs such as special event signs and banners, and off-site directional signs.

The changes limit the square footage of banners for single businesses to 32 square feet, remove the requirement for portable signs to be displayed only during regular business hours and brought in at night, and allow off-premise directional signs to measure 12 inches by 24 inches, instead of 8 inches by 24 inches.

“What really prompted this is that given the tough economic times we are in, we have received a number of phone calls from businesses who said, ‘We need more signs to help us get more business in and to help us stay alive,'” said City Planning Director Cindy Baker.

Concerned about sign clutter, the city’s planning commission held a hearing on Aug. 25 and recommended that the amendments be valid for a one-year period from the effective date with the opportunity for two additional six-month extensions. Commission members also recommended that city authorization be required beforehand to place portable or off-site directional signs in the public rights-of-way.

“I think of it as an economic recovery act for Auburn,” said Mayor Pete Lewis.