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Home My WebLink About20100706 - VIII-B-4Memo To: Mayor Hicks and City Council From: Justin Fortney, Associate Planner Date: July 6, 2010 st Subject1 Reading\Order Public Hearing: : City Code Chapter 151.08 – Signs – Monument sign height. REQUEST st The City Council is asked to consider 1 Reading and to order a public hearing to amend City Code Chapter 151.08 – Monument Sign Height. Upon consideration by the Council nd the public hearing and 2 Reading would be held at the July 19, 2010 City Council Meeting. OPTIONS Options available to the City Council include: st 1)Consider 1 Reading and order the public hearing. st 2)Deny 1 Reading (ceasing the amendment process). ATTACHMENTS  Resolution  Recent Monument sign pictures around Hastings  Proposed Napa sign  Related Excerpt of Minutes PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEW – Denial The Planning Commission reviewed the proposed amendment on June 28, 2010 and recommended 6-0 to deny it. The Commission stated the existing height restrictions are adequate and meet the needs of the community. It was also stated at the meeting that there are alternative ways to advertise, including wall signs. Please see attached minutes for further information. PLANNING COMMITTEE REVIEW – Support The Planning Committee of the City Council (Alongi, Slavik, and Balsanek) reviewed the requested ordinance change at the June 3, 2010 meeting. The Committee believed the 12 foot height sought by Linn was too high, but recommended amending the ordinance to allow for signs up to nine feet in height and directed staff to proceed with an amendment to the Sign Code. The Committee based its recommendation on the belief the additional height would allow for a decorative base and a more attractive sign. BACKGROUND Linn Companies, the applicant for the recently approved Napa auto parts store at 1501 Vermillion Street seeks to construct a taller monument sign (12 feet) than is allowed under the current zoning code. Linn would not exceed the square foot limit of the current sign code (50 s.f.), but seeks to put the sign on a decorative base. ANALYSIS Staff is comfortable with increasing the height of signs for the purposes of adding a decorative base to the bottom of them. This would be achieved by allowing an additional height of up to 3-feet if a base of the same height is also used. Up to 5-feet would be allowed for 15 and 20-foot group signs. ORDINANCE NO.______________, THIRD SERIES AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HASTINGS, MINNESOTA AMENDING HASTINGS CITY CODE CHAPTER 151.08 – SIGN REGULATIONS BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Hastings as follows: Chapter 151.08(D)(1)(e) of the Hastings City Code – Sign Regulations – Sign Chart (footnotes) - is hereby amended as follows: (Additions to the ordinance are underlined and section : numbers may be renumbered) Zoning Districts A, R, PIC-1, O-1C-2I-1, I-2DC Monument Maximum 5 feet 6 feet 6 feet 6 feet N/A Height Sign Face 50 square 50 square 50 square 50 square N/A Size feet feet feet feet Cap Height 8 inches 8 inches 8 inches 8 inches N/A (max.) Wall Maximum Greater of 40 square feet or 5% of wall area See division Size (D)(8) below Projecting Clearance N/A 8 feet 8 feet N/A 8 feet Maximum N/A 4 feet 4 feet N/A 2.5 feet Distance from Building Directionals Maximum 4 feet 4 feet 4 feet 4 feet N/A Height Maximum - 2 square 2 square 2 square N/A Size feet feet feet Zoning Districts C-3C-4 Single Multiple Single - Single - Multiple OccupantOccupantsunder over Occupant 100,000 100,000 Building square feetsquare feet Monument Maximum 6 feet 10 feet 6 feet 15 feet 20 feet Height Sign Face 50 square 100 square 50 square 75 square 100 square Size feet feet feet feet feet Cap Height 8 inches 12 inches 8 inches 18 inches 24 inches (max.) Wall Maximum Greater of 40 square feet or 5% of wall area Size Projecting Clearance 8 feet 8 feet 8 feet 8 feet 8 feet Maximum 4 feet 4 feet 4 feet 4 feet 4 feet Distance from Building Directionals Maximum 4 feet 4 feet 4 feet 4 feet 4 feet Height Maximum 2 square 2 square 2 square 2 square 2 square Size feet feet feet feet feet NOTES TO TABLE: a – 5,6,and 10 foot tall monument signs may be taller than noted if equal height bases are used, up to 3 feet. b – 15 and 20 foot tall monument signs may be taller than noted if equal height bases are used, up to 5 feet. All other sections shall remain unchanged. ADOPTED by the Hastings City Council on this ______ day of ________, 2010. _________________________________ Paul J. Hicks, Mayor ATTEST: ______________________________________________ Melanie Mesko Lee, City Clerk I HEREBY CERTIFY that the above is a true and correct copy of an ordinance presented to and adopted by the City of Hastings, County of Dakota, Minnesota, on the ____ day of _________, 2010, as disclosed by the records of the City of Hastings on file and of record in the office. _____________________________________________ Melanie Mesko Lee, City Clerk ( SEAL) This instrument drafted by: City of Hastings (JJF) 101 4th St. East Hastings, MN 55033 Excerpt of minutes relating to the proposed amendment from the 6/28/2010 Planning Commission meeting (not yet approved) City of Hastings – 3.Ordinance Amendment #2010-31 – Monument Sign Height. Associate Planner Fortney presented the staff report. Chair Zeyen opened the public hearing at 7:21. No members of the public spoke to the issue. Chair Zeyen closed the public hearing at 7:21. Commissioner Peine stated that the sign base would be covered by landscaping. Therefore, all that would be seen would be the sign and not the base. Commissioner Peine was not certain an ordinance amendment would fix this issue. Commissioner Stevens inquired about the Wells Fargo sign along with Holiday and M & H gas stations. Associate Planner Fortney stated these are poles signs and are legally nonconforming. He stated that only the sign faces can be replaced on these types of signs. Commissioner Stevens asked where the sign height is measured from. Associate Planner Fortney stated that the height is measured from the ground. Commissioner Stevens stated that a berm could be built to allow a higher sign. He stated he was not sure if he wanted to change the ordinance to meet the needs on one specific signs. Commissioner Stevens further stated a change in ordinance may result in other signs changing. Commissioner Slaten stated that NAPA had plans for a berm. Associate Planner Fortney confirmed that Napa was planning a berm between the parking lot and the street of 1.5 feet. Commissioner Slaten stated NAPA could place the sign on the berm and get the height they desired. Associate Planner Fortney explained that NAPA originally wanted a 12 foot tall sign and that staff was comfortable with 9 feet if 3 feet of the sign were a base. He stated that the sign would give them an additional 1.5 feet, beyond the 6 foot maximum, but added that he was not sure if the sign will be installed in the area of the berm. Commissioner Vaughan proposed staying with the current ordinance as there are other ways for businesses to attract business. Motion by Vaughan to recommend denial of the Ordinance Amendment for Monument Sign Height. Seconded by Stevens. Upon vote taken, Ayes 6, Nays 0. Motion carried.