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Commission recommends variances for St. Anthony’s wayfinding signs in right-of-way
Summary
The commission recommended approval to the Board of Adjustment for variances that would allow several small wayfinding signs for St. Anthony’s to be placed in the right of way; staff supported the signs conditionally because they aid hospital wayfinding and do not obstruct traffic.
The Downtown Design Commission voted July 17, 2025, to recommend that the Board of Adjustment grant variances allowing several small wayfinding signs for St. Anthony's to be placed within the public right of way adjacent to its campus on NW Ninth Street.
Planning Department staff told commissioners the signs were intended to improve wayfinding on a medical campus with multiple entrances and that the signage would not obstruct visibility or traffic. Staff recommended approval of the commission-level application provided the applicant obtain variances from the Board of Adjustment to permit signs in the right of way for three specific signs identified in the package.
Laura Griggs, Planning Department staff, explained the application is a revision to an approval from last year and that three of the proposed signs are technically in the right of way and therefore need variances. She said the signs comply with size allowances; two pedestrian-bridge signs are only about 5.6 square feet each and are considered incidental signage, and the south-side sign does not need a variance.
A member of the public and several commissioners said they supported additional wayfinding on the hospital campus because visitors can be stressed and confused when trying to find entrances. Commissioners also noted that the proposed signs were modest in size and designed for directional and identification purposes rather than advertising. No audience speaker opposed the signs.
A commissioner moved and the panel voted to approve the application on the basis the project complies with downtown design district regulations and guidelines, with the condition that the applicant obtain variances from the Board of Adjustment for signs 1, 3A and 3B (the signs located in the right of way). The commission then separately voted to forward a recommendation of approval to the Board of Adjustment for those same variances. The chair announced both motions passed.
The Board of Adjustment will consider the variance requests on August 7, 2025, in a separate proceeding; this commission’s action was a recommendation, not the final variance decision.
