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Albert Lea council OKs first readings for a package of zoning, sign and cannabis-rule changes
Summary
On May 12 the Albert Lea City Council approved first readings of multiple ordinance amendments covering front-yard setbacks, steel siding visibility, sign definitions and exemptions, B-2 window requirements and rules for local handling of cannabis retail licensing; staff will return with clarifications on grandfathering and festival language.
Albert Lea — The Albert Lea City Council on May 12 approved first readings of a package of ordinance amendments that revise rules on front-yard setbacks, building materials and several categories of signs, and that update the city’s rules for handling cannabis retail licenses.
Councilors said the changes are largely technical clarifications and applicant-driven tweaks to zoning code language. "This particular change is applicant driven," Councilor Christiansen said during discussion, adding that public input can prompt such adjustments.
The package included: removing conflicting language about front-yard setback definitions; allowing steel siding with exposed fasteners on building faces not substantially visible from a public street but limiting exposed fasteners to no more than 60% of a building face; adding or clarifying definitions and allowances for real estate, window and directional signs; reducing the number of flag/feather signs allowed per frontage while increasing wall signs for certain commercial and industrial districts; and a change requiring a minimum of 10% linear ground-floor windows in the B-2 community business district while preventing cannabis, hemp, liquor, tobacco or related paraphernalia from being visible through those windows.
City planner Megan Boke explained the exposed-fastener limit and said corner lots would count both faces toward the percentage that may have exposed fasteners. "So if it was on a corner, both of those corners would count as the front," Boke said.
The council also advanced an amendment to Chapter 5 addressing cannabis retail licensing to reflect recent state guidance from the Office of Cannabis Management. The city manager said the state may begin issuing initial licenses in July but cautioned the timeline is uncertain and depends on several variables, including whether applicants submit required information back to the state.
Councilors asked staff to clarify two outstanding items before the next reading: whether businesses that currently sell tobacco or related products would be grandfathered under the new B-2 window visibility restriction, and whether festival language regarding smoking or vaping needs revision. The city manager and city planner said staff would report back with details; the planner said she would have an answer the next day for the tobacco question.
Each ordinance in the package passed its first reading after motions on the floor. The amendments were presented to and recommended by the Planning Commission on May 6.
