Planning commission approves electronic reader-board sign at 206 East Boulevard North

The Rapid City Planning Commission on Sept. 4 approved a major amendment to a conditional use permit to allow a two-sided electronic reader-board sign at 206 East Boulevard North, a property with a car wash and storage units that fronts a principal arterial.

A city planner told commissioners the property is zoned General Commercial with mixed-use commercial future land use. The proposed two-sided electronic reader board would measure about 9 feet, 8 inches by 6 feet (roughly 58 square feet), be mounted on a monopole with 14 feet of ground clearance and 20 feet overall height, and would orient its display to face north-south toward East Boulevard North. The planner said the display will feature changing messages related to the car wash and must meet sign-code limits on intensity, be equipped with automatic dimming tied to ambient light, and be shielded or directed so as not to impair safe vision for motorists or pedestrians.

The staff presentation emphasized code restrictions: the sign must not use scrolling or flashing messaging and may only change static messages at intervals no faster than every eight seconds. When a commissioner asked whether the size was within code limits, the staff member replied, “An LED sign cannot exceed 60 square feet in size, and this is within that.” The planner recommended approval with the stipulations listed in the staff report and noted the original conditional use permit (approved Jan. 18, 1993) requires amendment for significant changes in use or impacts on adjacent properties.

Planning Commissioner Karen moved to approve the major amendment with staff stipulations; Planning Commissioner Mike Golliher seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote.

An applicant representative was present and had filed a speaker request for questions only; no public testimony was recorded. Staff and commissioners noted the request is similar to signs at the applicant’s other Rapid City locations and stressed that the approval is limited to on-premise messaging related to the car wash.