08-22-2018 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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STAFF REPORT TO: Mayor Keis and Members of the City Council FROM: Jessica Jagoe, Associate Planner DATE: August 17, 2018 RE: Public District Signage Allowance The City has recently received requests from the Little Canada Fire Department and a couple of the schools to install additional freestanding or building signage on their property. In each instance, the property is already at the maximum signage allowed under the Public District regulations with an existing sign. As a result, they are unable to proceed with their plans for additional signage. The following is the code language applicable for properties zoned “P” – Public - City Code - 903.110.E.1: 1. "R-1" and "R-2" Residential Districts, and “P” Public District: a. Institutional or area identification signs (monument type only), provided that the gross square footage of sign area does not exceed twenty-four (24) square feet in the “R-1” and “R-2 Districts, and thirty-two (32) square feet in the “P” District. If the sign is freestanding, the height shall not exceed eight (8) feet. Due to these requests, planning staff completed a survey of surrounding communities to see what other cities were allowing (see attached). The square footage of signage allowed seems to run the gamut from similar to ours then to no limitations. In all three cases where we’ve had a request to install additional signage it is a corner property meaning they have double frontage on two streets. In all of the instances, the signage being considered is far below what would be allowed on a commercial property with the same frontage. However, planning staff believes that “public” entities (i.e. government buildings, schools, churches) do not necessarily need the same extent of advertising signage as a commercial property. Instead we feel it is appropriate to consider increasing the square footage of signage allowed to an amount somewhere in between. Based on some of the recent discussions around “Public” signage and the survey results, planning staff has included with this report two proposed ordinance amendment versions for your consideration. Please be aware that the square footage proposed in Option 1 that the Planning Commission reviewed is an arbitrary number. The wall sign proposed by the Little Canada Fire Department would be 45 square feet (they are at the maximum 32 square feet with existing monument). The second option is based on the Planning Commission’s recommendation which was “Johnson recommended amending Zoning Code Section 903.110, Section 1 to mirror the commercial property signage allowances, and do not amend the R-1 and R-2 Residential District sign allowances.” Staff is recommending adoption of Ordinance 830 for revision of Public District signage.