Plan commission denies proposal for 60‑foot digital freestanding sign at 1221 W. Fairview

The Plan Commission denied a sign plan appeal from Blau Plumbing that sought approval of a 60‑foot tall freestanding sign with full digital faces at 1221 W. Fairview Ave.

Steve (planning staff) explained the request: the applicant proposed a V‑shaped freestanding sign 14 feet tall by 48 feet long per face with two faces (roughly 1,300+ square feet total) and a height above parking‑lot grade of 60 feet. The staff report noted the city sign ordinance allows a maximum freestanding sign height of 10 feet absent a variance, caps total sign area for the parcel at roughly 75 square feet, and limits electronic/digital display to 35% of a sign face. The Blau proposal exceeded the code on height, total area and percent digital display.

Owner Robert Blau and a sign company representative (Bobby) said the property sits roughly 20 feet below I‑94 grade and argued a larger and taller digital sign was needed for readability from the interstate; Blau also offered to allocate some display time for city messaging. Planning staff and several commissioners noted an established precedent: in 2018 the commission allowed a single taller, themed freestanding sign for the Ironworkers property after limiting the height and retaining other ordinance standards. Commissioners said that precedent permitted limited height variances, but did not change area or digital‑content limits.

Commissioners who supported denial cited three central reasons: the proposed sign’s overall area far exceeded the sign‑area limits in the code; the proposal would make 100% of the face digital well above the 35% electronic cap; and allowing such a deviation would invite comparable applications along the I‑94 corridor, undermining the ordinance’s design standards. A motion to deny the appeal carried.

Staff recommended the applicant consider a smaller, more ordinance‑compliant freestanding sign or pursue an ordinance change through common council if the commission and council wished to alter corridor signage policy. The denial means the applicant must either redesign within the code limits, request a targeted variance that addresses one narrow code provision, or pursue a legislative change.