7.a) Staff Report-Scandia Parks and Trails Sign Requirementsa
SC 1NDIA
Staff Report
Date of Meeting: January 7, 2013
To: Parks and Recreation Committee
From: Kristina Handt, City Administrator
Re: Scandia Parks and Trails Sign Requirements
Agenda Item #: 7.a)
Background:
For the last few months some members of the committee have expressed an interest in
developing a comprehensive signage program for the Scandia Parks and Trails. However, the
discussion has always been related to specific projects in the past. This is the committee's first
opportunity to discuss the possibility for creating additional signage requirements. A copy of the
sign code is included in your packet. You may view the Scandia Architectural Design Guidelines
by going to the City Website (www.ci.scandia.mn. us) >Comprehensive Plan>Download the
Comprehensive Plan>Scandia Architectural Design Guidelines.
In addition, the Comprehensive Parks, Trails, Open Space and Recreation Plan, 2005-2025 says
the following:
Develop consistent recreational facility signage and install signs at each Township entrance or in
locations which are easy to see and difficult to vandalize. Provide appropriate signs that describe
hours of operation, rules, and other pertinent information.
Promote high-quality design standards.
Proposal Details:
Committee member Arnold has submitted a proposal regarding sign standards, a process for
approving signs, a timeline and outcomes. A copy of her proposal is included in your packet and
may have been earlier referenced in regards to Korey Olson's Eagle Scout Project.
Fiscal Impact:
Unknown
Options:
1) Make a motion to further discussion of developing sign standards. Further establish a
timeline for adoption.
2) Make a motion not to pursue sign standards beyond the current code of ordinances and
comprehensive plan.
Recommendation:
Committee member Arnold has suggested pursuing a sign standard. The rest of the committee
needs to weigh in on whether or not they want to pursue this.
EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 3, 2010 amended through June 19, 2012 (Ordinance 131)
Chapter Two 0 Zoning Regulations
landscaping other than yard area and buffer landscaping requirements as specified in
other sections of this ordinance.
Plant Materials - At least one over-story/shade tree shall be provided for each 15
parking spaces. Ornamental trees, shrubs, hedges and other plant materials may be
used to supplement the shade trees, but shall not be the sole contribution to such
landscaping.
2. Additional perimeter plantings may be used to satisfy this requirement in parking
facilities less than 60 feet in width.
(I) Slopes and Berms. Final slopes of greater than 3:1 will not be permitted without
special treatment such as terracing or retaining walls. All berms shall incorporate trees
and other plantings into the design. In no situation shall berms be used as the sole
means of screening.
(J) Landscape Guarantee. A financial guarantee shall be submitted as provided by
Chapter 1, Section 11.10.
(5) Screening and Buffering
(A) Screening shall be required:
When any nonresidential, commercial or industrial off-street parking area contains
more than 4 parking spaces and is within 30 feet of a parcel in residential use.
When a driveway to a nonresidential parking area of more than 6 parking spaces is
within 15 feet of a parcel in residential use.
3. Where any business or industrial use (structure, parking or storage) is adjacent to
property in residential use, that business or industry shall provide screening along
the boundary of the residential property. Screening shall also be provided where a
business, parking lot or industry is across the street from a residential use, but not
on the side of a business or industry considered to be the front.
(B) Performance Standards. The screening required in this Section shall consist of earth
mounds, berms or ground forms; fences and walls; landscaping (plant materials) or
landscaped fixtures (such as timbers) used in combination or singularly so as to block
direct visual access to the area or object to be screened. Required screening for
parking areas shall provide a 100% opaque screen not less than 4 feet in height.
3.13 Signs
(1) Applicability. The regulations contained herein do not apply to signs painted, attached by
adhesive or otherwise attached directly to or visible through windows and glass portions of
doors.
(2) Permit Required. Except as otherwise provided in this Development Code, no sign shall be
erected, constructed, altered, rebuilt or relocated until an Administrative Permit or Conditional
use permit as may be required for the sign has been issued. Application for a permit shall be
City of Seandia Development Code, Chapter 2 Page 2-64
EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 3, 2010 amended through June 19, 2012 (Ordinance 131) Chapter Two 0 Zoning Regulations
accompanied by the established fee. No permit will be required under this Development Code
for the following signs:
(A) Real estate sale signs under 9 square feet in area.
(13) Political signs.
(C) Warning signs that do not exceed 9 square feet in area.
If the work authorized under a sign permit has not been completed within 6 months after the
date of issuance, the permit shall become null and void.
(3) General Standards.
(A) All signs shall be reviewed for conformance with the Scandia Architectural Design
Guidelines, as applicable. The following types of signs are generally prohibited by the
guidelines: backlit signs, neon signs, internally lit signs, LED digital signs and
individually lit sign letters.
(B) No sign may be erected that, by reason of position, shape, movement, color or any
other characteristic, interferes with the proper functioning of a traffic sign or signal or
otherwise constitutes a traffic hazard; nor shall signs be permitted which would
otherwise interfere with traffic control.
(C) All signs, other than public utility warning signs, are prohibited within a public right
of way.
(D) Political signs of any size and number are allowed in any district, on private property,
with the consent of the owner of the property. Such signs may be posted from 46 days
prior to the election and shall be removed 10 days after the election. In a state general
election year, such signs may be posted from 46 days prior to the state primary until
10 days following the state general election.
(E) Illuminated signs shall be diffused or indirect so as not to direct rays of lighting onto
any public right-of-way. No illuminated signs or their support structures shall be
located closer than 25 feet to any roadway surface or closer than 10 feet to a road right
of way line, notwithstanding less restrictive portions of this section.
(F) Flashing signs shall be prohibited. Signs giving off intermittent, rotating, or direct
light, which may be confused with traffic, aviation, or emergency signaling, are also
prohibited.
(G) Real estate sales signs may be placed in any yard providing such signs are not closer
than 10 feet to any property line.
(H) Real estate development project sales signs may be erected for the purpose of selling
or promoting a single family or multiple family residential project. The plat of the
development shall be recorded with the Washington County Recorder prior to the
erection of a sign. Signs are subject to the following standards.
Such signs shall not exceed 100 square feet in area.
City of Scandia Development Code, Chapter 2 Page 2-65
EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 3, 2010 amended through June 19, 2012 (Ordinance 131) Chapter Two 0 Zoning Regulations
Only 1 such sign shall be erected on each road frontage with a maximum of 3 such
signs per project.
Such signs shall be removed when the project is 80% completed, sold or leased.
Such sign shall be located on the property which is for sale. Off-site development
project signs are prohibited.
(I) One development identification sign shall be allowed for each street entrance to a
development. The sign shall not exceed 32 square feet per surface and no sign shall
have more than two surfaces. The sign shall not exceed 8 feet in height.
(J) Signs shall not be painted directly on the outside wall of a building unless unless they
reflect historic design and are approved by the City Council after review for
compatibility with the Architectural Design Guidelines.
(K) Signs shall not be painted on a fence, tree, stone or other similar object in any district.
(L) Roof signs are prohibited in all districts.
(M) All signs and displays using electric power shall have a cutoff switch on the outside of
the sign and on the outside of the building or structure to which the sign is attached.
No electrically illuminated signs shall be permitted in the Agriculture District- Core
(AG -C), Agriculture Preserves (AP), General Rural (GR) and Village Neighborhood
(VN) districts.
(N) Advertising signs are prohibited in all districts except for the following signs:
Signs advertising the sale of agricultural produce grown on the advertiser's
property shall be permitted after issuance of an Administrative Permit. No more
than three signs advertising the same location are permitted. No more than 135
sign days (each day that one sign is utilized) shall be allowed in one year. All signs
shall be installed on posts placed in the ground. No portable signs shall be
permitted. No sign shall exceed 10 square feet in area.
2. Signs advertising a community event shall be permitted after issuance of an
Administrative Permit for a period of no more than 10 days preceding the event
and ending on the day after the event. No more than 3 signs advertising the same
event are permitted.
Signs advertising a garage, lawn or similar sale occurring on a property in
agricultural or residential use shall be permitted after issuance of an Administrative
Permit. Such signs shall not exceed 4 square feet and shall be removed not later
than 4 days after it is erected.
A temporary off-site real estate open house directional sign advertising the sale of
residential real property is allowed with the consent of the property owner on
whose property the sign is placed. Such sign shall be promptly removed at the
completion of the open house and no later than 6:00 p.m. on the same day.
City of Scandia Development Code, Chapter 2 Page 2-66
EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 3, 2010 amended through June 19, 2011 (Ordinance 131) Chapter Two 0 Zoning Regulations
5. Temporary off-site real estate directional signs are allowed, but shall be limited to
two square feet and shall include the name and telephone number of the person or
company responsible for the signs. Such signs shall be promptly removed upon the
sale of the property. Temporary "Parade of Homes" signs shall be allowed only
during those periods in each year when the "Parade of Homes" event is being
conducted. Such signs shall be erected not earlier than the first day of such event
and shall be removed on the final day of such event.
(0) Multi -faced signs shall not exceed 2 times the allowed square footage of single faced
signs.
(P) Except for more restrictive parts of this Chapter, no sign that exceeds 100 square feet
in area shall be erected or maintained:
Which would prevent any traveler on any road from obtaining a clear view of
approaching vehicles on the same road for a distance of 500 feet.
Which would be closer than 1,350 feet to a national, state or local park, or historic
site.
Which would partly or totally obstruct the view of a lake, river, rocks, wooded,
area, stream or other point of natural and scenic beauty.
(Q) Any sign which becomes structurally unsafe or endangers the safety of a building or
premises or endangers the public safety, shall be taken down and removed or
structurally improved by the owner, agent or person having the beneficial use of the
building, structure or land upon which the sign is located within 10 days after written
notification from the Zoning Administrator.
(R) If the work authorized under a sign permit has not been completed within 6 months
after the date of issuance, the permit shall become null and void.
(4) Signs in Agriculture — Core (AG -C), Agriculture Preserves (AP), General Rural (GR) and
Village Neighborhood (VN) Districts. Identification, real estate sales, development
identification, advertising signs as permitted in Section 3.13(4)(N) and political signs are the
only signs permitted in agricultural and residential districts.
(A) No sign shall be so constructed as to have more than 2 surfaces.
(13) 1 of each of the permitted type signs and 1 political sign for each candidate will be
permitted.
(C) No sign shall exceed 32 square feet in size.
(D) The top of the display shall not exceed 10 feet above grade.
(E) Any sign over 2 square feet shall be setback at least 10 feet from any property line. In
no case shall any part of the sign be closer than 2 feet to a vertical line drawn at the
property line.
City of Scandia Development Code, Chapter 2 Page 2-67
EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 3, 2010 amended through June 19, 2012 (Ordinance 131) Chapter Two 0 Zoning Regulations
(5) Signs in Village Mixed Use - A (VMU-A), Village Mixed Use — B (VMU-B), Rural
Commercial (R -COMM) and Industrial Park (IP) districts.
(A) Business, political, advertising signs as permitted in Section 3.13(4)(N), development
identification and real estate sales signs are permitted.
(B) Number of each type of sign allowed per lot frontage:
1 real estate sales sign;
1 freestanding monument business sign and 1 business sign attached to the
building.
(C) Except as provided herein, the total square footage of sign area for each lot shall not
exceed 1 square feet of sign area for each lineal foot of building front. No sign shall
exceed 200 square feet in area. Each real estate sales sign or political sign shall not
exceed 35 square feet in area.
(D) The top of a monument sign shall not exceed 15 feet above the average grade.
(E) Any sign over 6 square feet shall be setback at least 10 feet from any property line. In
no case shall any part of a sign be closer than 2 feet to a vertical line drawn at the
property line.
(6) Shopping Center Signs,
(A) Shopping Centers or buildings containing more than 1 tenant are allowed 1 monument
sign which may contain the names of all businesses in the project. Individual
businesses may be identified by way of signs attached to the building. The total square
footage of sign area may not exceed the limits set forth in Section 5(C) above.
(B) Signs shall in no case project from a building or structure to any point within 2 feet to
a vertical line drawn at the property line. No projecting sign shall be less than 9 feet
above the sidewalk or the ground level. All projecting signs for which a permit is
required shall be constructed entirely of fire resistant material.
(7) Home Occupations. Any home occupation permitted under Section 4.9 of this Chapter shall be
allowed a sign no greater than 9 square feet in size.
3.14 Building Type and Materials
(1) General Standards
(A) Buildings in all zoning districts shall maintain a high standard of architectural and
aesthetic compatibility with surrounding properties to ensure that they will not
adversely impact the property values of the abutting properties or adversely impact the
community's public health, safety, and general welfare.
(B) Except for agricultural buildings, no galvanized or unfinished steel or unfinished
aluminum buildings (walls or roofs), except those specifically intended to have a
City of Scandia Development Code, Chapter 2 Page 2-68