Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Signs Ordinance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council reviews draft ordinance to limit non-election yard sign size and placement
Summary
Council sign code changes would set a 10-foot setback from curb, recommend 18x24-inch limit outside election season and cap temporary yard signs per lot; city staff will send the draft to the planning commission for public hearing and further recommendation.
City staff presented a draft amendment to the city's zoning sign code to replace content-specific language about campaign signs with a content-neutral "temporary sign" standard and to clarify placement, size and number limits outside of state-defined election seasons.
The draft would: require yard signs to be set back 10 feet from the curb or edge of pavement on city streets; limit temporary residential yard signs to roughly 18 by 24 inches (or an equivalent square-footage limit) outside of election season; and set a suggested maximum number of temporary signs per parcel (staff proposed four, but council discussion left the final number open). The draft would not regulate signs on state or county right-of-way; staff said complaints on those roads will be referred to MnDOT or the county.
Staff said state law preempts local limits on the size and number of noncommercial signs during the statutory election window (46 days before primary through 10 days after the general election in even-numbered years), but that location standards may be enforced during that period. The draft seeks to give staff a consistent, easy-to-explain standard (10 feet from the curb) to avoid confusion that arose during the last election when wide rights-of-way created uneven enforcement outcomes.
Council members generally favored moving the draft to the Planning Commission for a public hearing and asked staff to return with any planning commission recommendations. Council also discussed exceptions and enforcement practices for real estate signs, painted wood signs and groups placing signs without property-owner permission; staff noted some items (commercial sign code, lighting rules) are outside the immediate draft's scope and could be reviewed separately.
City staff said outreach and clearer public messaging (newsletter, social media, door hangers for enforcement visits) will be part of implementation if the ordinance is adopted.
