Ramsey Resident - 2007 - September

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Development ~ City to Consider Limiting Number of Vehicles Stored Outdoors in Residential Areas The significant majority of public nuisance complaints received at the city involve outdoor storage of vehicles and equipment that gener- ally are inoperable. Currently, City Code does not place any restrictions on the number of vehicles that can be stored outside on a residential parcel; only that the vehicle must be oper- able and all but one must be licensed. Regulating outside storage of vehicles and equipment based on whether or not they are operable is very difficult, time consuming, and expensive; and the success rate for these types of code violations is very low. Council has been advised that the city would be better able to regulate outside storage of vehicles, especially junl<- vehicles, based on numbers, as well as, being operable and licensed. On July 10,2007, the City Council directed city staff to draft an ordinance amendment that would establish limits on the number of vehicles and equipment parl<-ed and stored outside on residential parcels. On August 2, city staff presented a draft ordinance to the Planning Com- mission for a public hearing. If ad- opted, the ordinance would place the following limits on outdoor storage of vehicles: 1 licensed vehicle per li- censed driver in household · 2 additional licensed vehicles per household · 2 major pieces of appropri- ately licensed recreational equipment (i.e. R.V., camper, boat, etc.), 1 licensed collector or classic vehicle Directions to the Recycling Drop-Off Site: ake Ramsey Boulevard to 143rd Avenune Go East to Jaspar Street Go South on Jaspar Street The Public Works Facility is located at: 14210 Jaspar Street The current parl<-ing surface standards (Class 5 or con-bit outside the urban service area and bituminous or concrete inside the urban service area) will be retained in the Code. On August 2, the Planning Commission tabled action on the proposed ordinance and continued the public hearing to their next regular meeting on Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 7:00 pm in the City Council Chambers, Ramsey Municipal Center, 7550 Sunwood Drive N.W. For additional information re- garding the proposed ordinance, you may contact the Community Devel- opment Department at 763-433-9824. City to Update its Sign Ordinance Community Development staff is holding a continued public hearing regarding changes to the sign ordinance at the Planning Commis- sion meeting on September 6. In light of recent court cases involving freedom of speech and the display of electronic signs (you may have heard about them in the news), the city has overhauled the Sign Code to remove any content-based or user-specific regulation. If you have any ques- tions or comments about the proposed ordinance, or would like a copy of the proposed ordinance for review and comment, please call Breanne at 763- 433-9819. www.ci.ramsey.mn.us 5