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Home My WebLink About#15 - CC Report Subdivision Signs; 7-21-15 MAYOR & COUNCIL COMMUNICATION -- page 1 -- DATE: 8/18/15 REGULAR ITEM #15 ORDINANCE 08-124 AGENDA ITEM: Zoning Text Amendment – Subdivision Identification Signs SUBMITTED BY: Kyle Klatt, Community Development Director THROUGH: Clark Schroeder, Interim City Administrator REVIEWED BY: Planning Commission Nick M. Johnson, City Planner (previous Staff reports) SUGGESTED ORDER OF BUSINESS: - Introduction of Item .....................................Community Development Director - Report/Presentation………………………...Community Development Director - Questions from Council to Staff ............................................. Mayor Facilitates - Call for Motion ............................................................... Mayor & City Council - Discussion ....................................................................... Mayor & City Council - Action on Motion .................................................................... Mayor Facilitates POLICY RECCOMENDER: Planning Commission FISCAL IMPACT: None SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUESTED: The City has received inquiries from the residential development community about subdivision identification signage. In reviewing the City’s regulations with signage, staff determined that adding greater clarity about what type of signage is allowed and where would be beneficial to the City moving forward. To address the situation staff conducted research and ultimately drafted a Zoning Text Amendment to add language to the ordinance. The Planning Commission reviewed the research at their 6/22/15 meeting, held a public hearing on 7/13/15. The City Council considered the Commission’s recommendation at its second meeting in June, but sent the ordinance back to the Planning Commission for further review. The Council specifically requested that the maximum allowable size of a subdivision identification sign be decreased from 32 to 24 square feet. City Council Meeting [Agenda Item 15] August 18, 2015 -- page 2 -- After further review, the Planning Commission is recommending approval of the Zoning Text Amendment with the size reduction as proposed by the Council and with additional provisions to limit the size of the supporting infrastructure around the sign. The suggested motion to take action of this request is as follows: “Move to adopt Ordinance 08-124, amending the Sign Ordinance to provide greater clarity in the regulations for subdivision identification signage.” BACKGROUND INFORMATION/STAFF REPORT: The City Council has received the previous Planning Commission reports and supporting information on this matter. Since this has recently been in front of the Council, the supporting documentation has not been attached to this report, but us available upon request. PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT: The Planning Commission reviewed the subdivision identification signage provisions at its meeting on 6/22/15, where they directed staff to schedule a public hearing and prepare a Zoning Text Amendment. The public hearing was held on July 13, 2015. No one spoke during the public hearing and no written correspondence was received. During the meeting, the Planning Commission requested that provisions be added to not allow changeable copy or electronic variable message signage for subdivision identification signs. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the zoning text amendment to add additional provisions to provide clarity for subdivision identification signs (Vote: 6-0). Upon receipt of the ordinance with an updated recommendation from the Council, the Commission reviewed and further revised ordinance at its August 10, 2015 meeting. The Planning Commission supported the Council’s size amendment, and further added language that limits the overall size of the support structure and monument portion a sign. The updated language has been included in the attached ordinance. STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, THREATS: Strengths: The addition provisions proposed for subdivision identification signs add greater clarity to what is allowed for this type of signage. The provisions include more specificity with regards to the number, location and type of signage that is allowed. These provisions will set clear expectations for the developers and HOAs who are interested in installing such signage. Weaknesses: None Opportunities: Providing greater clarity in the regulations of subdivision signage should remove some of the confusion that developer and HOAs have encountered with the existing provisions. Threats: None. RECOMMENDATION: Based on the aforementioned, the Planning Commission and staff are recommending that the City Council approve the proposed amendment to the Sign Ordinance to City Council Meeting [Agenda Item 15] August 18, 2015 -- page 3 -- add provisions related to subdivision identification signage. the motion to take the recommended action on the request is as follows: “Move to adopt Ordinance 08-124, amending the Sign Ordinance to provide greater clarity in the regulations for subdivision identification signage.” ATTACHMENTS: 1. Ordinance 08-124 2. Staff Report to the Planning Commission 8-10-15 3. Available Upon Request: a. Staff Report to the Planning Commission, dated 7-13-15 b. Staff Report to the Planning Commission, dated 6-22-15 c. Existing Subdivision Signage Provisions d. Comparison Chart of Signage of Metro Cities e. Signage Examples from Other Metro Cities AGEDNA ITEM 6A – BUSINESS ITEM PLANNING COMMISSION DATE: 8/10/15 AGENDA ITEM: 6A – BUSINESS ITEM CASE # 2015-23 ITEM: Zoning Text Amendment – Subdivision Identification Signs SUBMITTED BY: Kyle Klatt, Community Development Director REVIEWED BY: Nick Johnson, City Planner SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUESTED: The Planning Commission is being asked to reconsider its recommendation to the City Council concerning a zoning text amendment for neighborhood identification signs. The Council considered the ordinance at its July 21, 2015 meeting, and requested that the Planning Commission consider reducing the maximum size of a neighborhood identification sign from 32 square feet to 24 square feet. Staff has updated the draft ordinance to reflect this change, and will be seeking further discussion and comments from the Planning Commission on this matter before sending it back to the Council for final action. Please note that the Commission has received detailed reports and supporting information on this item at two previous meetings. Staff will provided copies of any of these materials upon request from individual Commissioners or the general public. GENERAL INFORMATION Applicant: City of Lake Elmo Property Owners: N/A Location: N/A – Proposed zoning text amendment would apply to existing and future residential subdivisions throughout the community. Request: The Planning Commission is asked to reconsider its recommendation to the City Council concerning neighborhood identification signs. Existing Land Use: N/A Existing Zoning: N/A Surrounding Land Use: N/A Surrounding Zoning: N/A Comprehensive Plan: N/A Proposed Zoning: N/A History: The City updated the Sign Ordinance in 2013 as part of the Zoning Code Update Project. The provisions that regulate subdivision identification signs were included in the 2013 update. 2 PUBLIC HEARING ITEM 4D – ACTION ITEM Applicable Regulations: §154.212 – Sign Regulations RECCOMENDATION: Staff is recommending that the Planning Commission recommend approval of the Zoning Text Amendment to the Sign Ordinance to provide clarity with regards to subdivision identification signs. The suggested motion is the following: “Move to recommend approval of the Zoning Text Amendment to add greater detail to the subdivision identification sign provisions in the City’s Sign Ordinance.” ATTACHMENTS: 1. DRAFT ORDINANCE – Proposed Zoning Text Amendment ORDER OF BUSINESS: - Introduction ....................................................... Community Development Director - Report by Staff ..................................................................................... City Planner - Questions from the Commission ............................ Chair & Commission Members - Public Comments ............................................................................................. Chair - Discussion by the Commission .............................. Chair & Commission Members - Action by the Commission ..................................... Chair & Commission Members 1 CITY OF LAKE ELMO COUNTY OF WASHINGTON STATE OF MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO. 08-124 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE LAKE ELMO ZONING CODE BY AMENDING THE SIGN ORDINANCE BY ADDING ADDITIONAL REGULATION AND CLARIFICAITON WITH REGARDS TO SUBDIVISION IDENTIFICAITON SIGNS SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Lake Elmo hereby amends Title XV: Land Usage; Chapter 154: Zoning Code; Section 212; Subsection G.1.c to read the following: c. Subdivision Identification Signs i. Number. Each residential subdivision is allowed up to a maximum of two (2) subdivision identification signs. For the purposes of this section, residential subdivisions shall include all phases of approved staged developments. ii. Location. Subdivision identification signs shall be located near entrances to the subdivision, except that one sign may be located along an abutting arterial or major collector roadway. iii. Size. The maximum size for a subdivision identification sign is thirty- twotwenty-four (3224) square feet. The face area of any monument or support structure attached to or integral to the design of the sign shall be no more than two (2) times the area of the sign. iv. Sub-Monuments. Each residential subdivision may have two (2) sub- monument identification signs in addition to two (2) subdivision identification signs. Sub-monument identification signs may not exceed four (4) square feet in size. v. Changeable copy signs, including electronic variable message signs, are not a permitted sign type for subdivision identification signage. SECTION 2. Effective Date. This ordinance shall become effective immediately upon adoption and publication in the official newspaper of the City of Lake Elmo. SECTION 3. Adoption Date. This Ordinance 08-124 was adopted on this eighteeth day of August 2015, by a vote of ___ Ayes and ___ Nays. LAKE ELMO CITY COUNCIL _________________________________ Mike Pearson, Mayor 2 ATTEST: _________________________________ Julie Johnson, City Clerk This Ordinance 08-124 was published on the ____ day of ___________________, 2015.