04-26-89 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES City Council April 26, 1989 Fahey stated that that miqht be tr~ue of the sur~roundinq ar•ea, but not of the Metr•o area. LaValle pointed out that Fina only wanted to replace its existinq sipn with a newer, more attr•active siqn. Scalze noted that in order to do that, the Code must be changed. Scalze also pointed out that the f,ity pr•eviously denied a var•iance for• McDonald's. LaValle r~eported that the City is tr•ying to pr~omote itself, and the first thinc~ someone sees enter•inq the City aloriq Rice Street is a new Fina station with an old sign. LaValle did not feel this was a qood way to mar~ket the City. Scalze pointed out that Fina will chanqe their siqn. Collova felt that Fina should be allowed to replace the existinq sign at its current heiqht. Fahey stated that a siqn 30 feet in heiqht alonq a fr•eeway is not ver•y hic~h and pointed oiat that the Fina siqri is not ver•.y lar•ge. Fahey felt that Fina was tr~yinq to impr•ove the looks of the pr•oper•t,y, pointinc~ out that the siqn will nr•obably not be visible fr•om the fr•eeway. Scalze aqreed that Fina was not really ad,iacent to Hiqhway 36 due to the c~reen space between the huildinq and the hiqhway riaht-of-way. Fahey felt that the City should do somethinp for• the businesses alona the fr•eeway and felt that the City Planner~ should look at the issue and make a recommendation on the distance from the freeway that should be considered for• hiqher siqns. Fahey also felt that a 3Q to 35 foot heiqht alonq the fr•eeway should be allowed. Mr. Wilcox pointed out that it is unfair to Judqe ordinancesof various cities just on face value, since variances to these ordinancesare 9ranted all the time. Wilcox also felt that ther•e should be special tr•eatment for~ freeway fr~ontage. Wilcox also poirited out that Fina's competitor• in the City has a 50+ hiqh sign plus an additional pylon with a r•evolvina sphere. blilcox did not feel Fina should be sinqled out and penalized. Wilcox r•epor•ted that a 30 foot siqn heiqht was acceptable to Fina, althouqh 35 foot heiqhts ar•e very common in St. °aul. Wilcox suqqested that a r•easonable appr•oach to the issue was to amend the or~dinance to allow for• a hiqher~ siqn heiqht for businesses located along the freeway or a certain distance from a freeway interchanqe. The Planner suqgested that ther~e ar•e two issues, is the City in favor of hiqher sians for business located around a freeway interchanqe or for all husinesses located along a freeway. Fahey stated that he would prefer hi9her siqns for business located within Paqe -21-