12-04-2024 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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STAFF REPORT TO: Mayor Fischer and Members of City Council FROM: Ben Harrington, AICP, Community Development Director DATE: November 25, 2024 RE: Planning Case 1433 – Sign Code – Ordinance #901 ACTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED Recommend to Approve/Approve with Amendments/Deny Ordinance 901 to repeal and adopt Chapter 916: Signs, of the Little Canada Zoning Code. BACKGROUND In July, City Staff received a proposal to amend the City’s existing sign code. The applicant’s primary interest was to create a path within Little Canada’s code to allow the upgrade of existing billboards to dynamic displays (a changeable digital displays). Currently, billboards are considered non-conforming structures and, as such, can only be maintained. In reviewing both the applicant’s proposed amendment and the existing sign code, City Staff identified several additional issues within the current sign standards unrelated to the applicant’s proposal. These include a lack of formal definitions, unclear regulations, and some outdated or unenforceable standards that require immediate attention. Staff collaborated with the applicant and collectively agreed that the City would propose its own amendment to address these issues while also incorporating the applicant’s request to upgrade billboards for Planning Commission and Council consideration. The proposed Code revisions address concerns identified by both City Staff and the City Attorney. The revised standards also outline requirements for dynamic display billboards, including mandatory architectural enhancements for upgraded billboards, City branding on support columns, and guaranteed slots for community messaging. While Staff generally does not favor the proliferation of billboards within the city, knowing that the City lacks legal authority to mandate the removal of existing billboards, the proposed code will enhance the appearance of these structures and include measures to minimize potential distractions from any digital displays. The other edits in the proposed code primarily restructure content to improve clarity and readability. Staff aimed to minimize changes to content beyond the removal of provisions that are legally unenforceable. However, in instances where sections of the code contained contradictory or ambiguous standards, minor modifications were made to ensure that the Code is clear, consistent, and enforceable. The Planning Commission reviewed the ordinance at their November 14, 2024, meeting. After discussion and questions primarily focused on the billboard section, they unanimously voted to recommend the ordinance for adoption. SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE UPDATES 1. The proposed ordinance provides clearer standards for permanent business signs. The current code has unclear standards in this area of the sign code due to organizational issues. Importantly, the ordinance does not change existing signage allotments or sizes.