The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2018-06-26 CC Worksession - Rooftop Signage Request i ,, ,C• : City of Oak Park Heights 14168 Oak Park Blvd.N•Box 2007.Oak Park Heights,MN 55082•Phone(651)439-4439•Fax(651)439-0574 6/22/18 MEMO TO: Mayor and City Council M •e FROM: Eric Johnson,City Admin .:r'• RE: Worksesslon Agenda 5—PMM :.18 1. Memorial Ave Reconstruction Staff would like to discuss with Counci he planned needs of the reconstruction of MEMORIAL AVE and 58th Street STANTEC will be providing a asibility report cost estimate.A feasibility report scopes-out the general concepts,cost estimates and can include planned assessment policies and their impacts to each parcel. STANTEC will be providing this cost estimate at the meeting and delivering a short synopsis. 2. Update on Two County Projects: I have attended two meetings with Washington County Staff that I would like to bring the Council up to speed on: A) Updates to the Central Corridor Trail-way Planning This is a trail way the County is hoping to develop from 1-94,north through Lake Elmo Park Reserve and terminating at STH 36 and Manning.This will of course take years to develop and fund,but as the conversation around Manning and STH 36 evolves it is vital to pay-attention to it.(see the enclosed— trail concept locations) B) Updates to the County's continued discussion on Manning and STH 36 interchange. At the recent Open House,the County showed a number of different layouts for such an interchange and frontage roads.They hope to begin to narrow down these alternatives into one or two preferred layouts and did begin that dialogue with staff from various cities in the Local Advisory Team. Generally speaking,much of these impacts are in Lake Elmo or Grant.However,there remains the discussion of a linking frontage road towards Memorial Ave.The City has expressed that it does support the interchange improvement and has no objection to a frontage road but shall be a County or State cost to construct and maintain. I have enclosed the provided power point and the Council might desire to discuss if ft has a preferred layout as well. 3. Rooftop Signage—Consider Text Amendment Please see the enclosed summary memo from Scott Richards related to the request from Simonet's Furniture seeking a possible text amendment to allow roof-top signage.(In short,Staff does not recommend alteration to the current code). Page 3 of 36 SIMONTS Home of your Future•Based in Tradition FURNITURE 5745 Memorial Avenue North • Stillwater,MN 55082 Ph 651-439-2)10 • Fax 651-439-2103 www.simonetfurni Cure.corn April 6,2018 Mr.EricJohnson Oak Park Heights City Administrator 14168 Oak Park Blvd.North Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 RE: "Simonet Furniture"TEXT ADMENDMENT Dear Mr.Johnson: I, Michael O'Brien,owner of Simonet Furniture Co.located at 5745 Memorial Ave.N,Oak Park Heights, MN 55082 would like the City Council of Oak Park Heights to consider a TEXT AMENDMENT to allow the following for advertising the location of our business: 1) On-site roof-top allowance of an authentic Amish buggy 2) Display outdoor seasonal Adirondack chairs on grassy area in front of building 3) Uplighting on building from ground surface As you are aware,the retail industry has changed dramatically the past several years with the advent of Amazon,Wayfair,Overstockcom to name a few.The competition is fierce,so It is imperitive to attract customers into the physical location of your store. f have notified City View Electric to send me a plan for the up-lighting which will be coordinated with your ordinance.The plan will be forwarded to you shortly. In reviewing my request,I would hope the City will consider the significant investment of$2.5M in our location and the revenue it brings to the community.Any further information or questions you have, please feel free to contact me. e , Mi ae L Brien Page 31 of 36 TPC3801 Thurston Avenue N, Suite 100 Anoka, MN 55303 Phone: 763,231.5840 Facsimile: 763,427.0520 TPC@PianningCo.com PLANNING REPORT TO: Eric Johnson FROM: Scott Richards DATE: June 21, 2018 RE: Oak Park Heights — Roof Top Signage— City Council Discussion TPC FILE: 236.01 — 18.02 BACKGROUND Simonet's Furniture has requested an allowance for roof top signage to place an Amish style buggy as an advertisement devise for the business. Any type of roof top signage is prohibited under the sign regulations. The buggy would be defined as a sign. Section 401.15.G.6 Prohibited Signs in any Zoning District includes Roof Signs as prohibited. Additionally, Section 401.15.G.7 Special Events prohibits displays or special features on any landscaped areas or on roofs. The Zoning Ordinance defines signs and roof top signs as follows: Sign: Any letter, word or symbol, poster, picture, statuary, reading matter or representation in nature of advertisement, announcement, message or visual communication, whether painted, posted printed, affixed or constructed, including all associated brackets, braces, supports, wires and structures, which is displayed for informational or communicative purposes. Roof Sign: Any sign which is erected, constructed or attached wholly or in part upon any roof or over the highest roof line of a building. ANALYSIS Allowing a buggy on the roof in this area may not seem as a significant issue, although once this type of advertising device is allowed on a roof, it will be extremely difficult not to allow others to do the same. A variance could be considered, but what are the practical difficulties (the sign ordinance already allows significant freestanding and wall signage) and once a variance is issued, what prevents the next business from asking Page 32 of 36 for the same? The City could consider an ordinance amendment, but how would these devices be defined and what regulations could be put into place that would allow only those advertising devices that would be acceptable to the community? Staff recognizes the following issues allowing advertisement devices on roofs: 1. It is difficult to define what an advertising device is that may or may not have text or a logo. An Amish buggy may seem acceptable, but is a fiberglass cow or gorilla appropriate in our business areas? Once one type of object is allowed it would be difficult to say no to another object. How would adjoining business owners react to allowing advertising devices on rooftops? 2. Would we allow these objects to be lit at night? How would that comply with existing lighting regulations? 3. If advertising devices were allowed on rooftops, would we also allow signs with text? 4. The owner would need to have a structural engineer sign off on allowing advertising devices or signage because of wind considerations. Many cities, including our current ordinance, have banned these objects on roofs because of safety concerns. CONCLUSION The City Council should provide direction to staff on this issue. It is Staff's recommendation that no changes be made to the sign regulations to allow roof signs with a text content or as an object. Additionally, it is recommended that no variances be granted. The City Council may also choose to ask the Planning Commission to provide a recommendation on this issue. EXHIBITS Exhibit 1: Proposed Amish Buggy Picture 2 Page 33 of 36 1 COW ......., 1— , i i .... . i • is . • -.._ , .. I—-1 1 ...,..' • • 1 :, , . F' r 4, 1 . - • . ff g • Door S ,.. . .-.. . ... ., . ..... . it•,:.ie I • 4 •'...,if' *we if .;I, t-,•:;',4e .s 0 ,• „ ••1- 01- . • * ' •• Aft , sik 1 .21• ,••.,.* • • - .- . .... 4 • -- • -0 - L Ai ...11411,!41/' e• -.-1 i • . ......, • A " •• 411 %41,. \. 1 ,a , . N . 7 / Sas 't..... ......', .:. .. . . , • ' . j'i 'SF''' ...- -.' . ''' --_-_,.= ' - "‘", 4 7 •....- !101111e. - "."-.. e • _Lt.11.ti lir .. 4*rt: 4 Al Iiiik. # ,... .. 1 ... - .. - i «.... Mor ... 4 ,• li 'i irtIr 40. I • .' ' i ito,,,,.''' -'1,•:' ' `-'1,` :'. , ,:*.. - • , , . ' 19 • -1/M11"..'. :' -;,-,7•"/ V„. ,. . di 0 i ...,":* • ..- - • 3 Page 34 of 36