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<br />Signage comments from the surveys include: <br /> signage regulations are illogical and very limiting <br /> Some more prominent signage may be helpful but regulations are limiting <br /> better signage would enable some people to recognize the business location and come back <br />later <br /> They would like to see a more flexible rule for business signage - perhaps seasonal <br />installation of a suitable sign? <br /> would like to be able to set up small lighted signs to direct the incoming and outgoing <br />traffic in the evenings from Thanksgiving to Christmas but the regulation does not allow <br />such signage. <br /> They would like to improve the signage for their location to make the business more visible, <br />but understand that LE is very restrictive in that regard. <br /> Signage right off the main road before the entrance <br /> improve the signage regulations to allow more useful signs. <br /> It would be good if the City could relax the requirements for signage on businesses. It <br />would be good if the City could provide notification on the highways about businesses that <br />exist in Lake Elmo, something like the ones on the freeway that mention "food" "fuel" <br />"lodging". Then some customers might drive in instead of driving by. <br /> we did talk about signage to let people know that Lake Elmo has auto repair available, and <br />about the possibility of creating more traffic by bringing in more retail business to <br />downtown Lake Elmo, but he did feel that these would make much difference to them <br /> bring in more traffic - such as via "businesses in Lake Elmo" signs at intersection of <br />Highways 14 & 15 <br />o Possible future action step for city (council and planning commission): Review <br />city signage code, especially in the Old Village, compare to other cities’ and <br />update code. <br /> <br />Permit process questions/concerns and denial issues: <br /> unable to upgrade facility as they wanted due to restrictive zoning/permitting which <br />requires more setback for building on agricultural land (existing building would not be <br />allowed under current rules) <br /> The Conditional Use Permit for this business restricts growth and they are not sure if it <br />can be modified. There is a very large industrial development just to the west of their <br />property which has industrial / commercial zoning while their property was rezoned from <br />agricultural to limited business some time ago, and they do not know what it would take to <br />get theirs changed. <br /> code enforcement issue – The landlord said that a chiropractor had occupied space in the <br />building previously and had not needed any special permit. Matt went to City to be sure, <br />City Planner Ben Prchal told him that he needed to pay $5000 for a conditional use permit <br />to do physical therapy at that location. Matt was told that if he had not asked, probably <br />there would have been no issue. He told Ben that there was no way he could come up with <br />$5000 for this permit process, and then was told that it would not be necessary. <br /> Have city staff or commission members come out to see what is being planned before <br />writing up a recommendation or making a vote. Have consultation sessions with <br />cooperation rather than rule-based pushback against development requests. The city is <br />perceived as non-collaborative and unhelpful, sometimes it seems like a confrontational <br />situation.