Agenda - Planning Commission - 01/04/1994

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CASE # 7 REVIEW PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO AMEND SIGN REGULATIONS By: Zoning Administrator Sylvia Frolik Background: As you recall, many months ago the Planning Commission and City Staff drafted a new sign ordinance. That ordinance was subjected to a public hearing and forwarded to City Council for adoption. Since the ordinance went to Council for introduction and adoption, some major changes have been made. Based on the changes made, it was Staffs recommendation that the ordinance be sent to the Planning Commission for an additional public hearing. Observations: The major changes made to the ordinance since the Planning Commission reviewed it are as follows: Billboards prohibited. As the Planning Commission drafted the ordinance, billboards would be allowed along Hwy. #10 as a principal use of property only. Council has amended the ordinance to prohibit any new billboards. Dealerships for new cars would not be permitted more free standing signs than other businesses. Generally, all businesses are restricted to one free standing sign. As the Planning Commission drafted the ordinance, new car dealerships would be allowed to have one free standing sign for each make of automobile sold on the property. To avoid discriminatory charges, the City Attorney has recommended that new car dealerships not be given any special sign privileges. If franchise agreements for auto sales call for separate signs for each make sold, it can be addressed with a conditional use p~mit o Reimbursement of costs incurred. Language was added to give the City the authority to assess any costs incurred in removing various types of temporary signs that the sign owner failed to remove within the specified time frame. Standards for sign workmanship in,eased. Language was added to require that all signs in excess of 16 square feet must be consmacted and installed by a professional sign company or contractor. The following items are enclosed for your information: 1) 2) 2) 2) Letter from Richard Mlodzik, Skoglund Communications, Inc., dated 9/30/93 Excerpt from November 15, 1993 issue of Zoning Bulletin (highway billboards) Three-page submittal by Bill Dubats listing concerns with proposed sign ordinance Proposed sign ordinance The Planning Commission conducted the additional public hearing on December 7, 1993 and tabled further discussion of the proposed ordinance until the regular meeting in January, 1994. City Staff has fixed the typographical and paragraph structure errors brought to our attention by Bill Dubats' submittal at the public hearing. We also took Mr. Dubats' suggestion and added language to 9.12.13 (subd. 1) to clarify that not all pre-existing signs are non-conforming.