Planning staff previews sign‑code revisions and explains public‑notice process; commission moves August meeting to Aug. 12

Planning staff on June 3 presented options to revise Minot’s sign code and walked commissioners through the city’s public‑notice procedures for land‑use hearings. Commissioners directed staff to prepare proposed amendments and approved an administrative change to the meeting calendar.

Associate Planner Falconer said Minot’s sign rules currently scale allowable sign area by lot frontage (three square feet per foot of frontage up to a cap), which often limits signage for larger buildings and can leave small‑lot, tall‑building facades under‑signed. Falconer compared Minot to Bismarck, Fargo and Grand Forks and suggested removing the hard maximum and allowing an allocation based on the greater of lot frontage or building façade area, recommending a 20% of façade area standard as a middle ground. He told the commission this approach would better scale signage to building design while keeping controls to limit clutter.

Commissioners discussed timing; staff said a text amendment could be prepared for an August packet and noted there would be a “summer cleanup” window. Commissioners also asked about definitions and whether murals or public art would be regulated; staff clarified murals without commercial content are not considered signs requiring permits.

Falconer also outlined the staff process for public notices: drafting the legal public hearing notice early in the month, GIS generation of a 300‑foot (or other) buffered mailing list, department‑head circulation, publication in the Minot Daily News and posting the full packet online. He said each adjacent owner inside the notification buffer receives a mailed letter (duplicates consolidated), and applicants and department contacts also receive the packet. Staff emphasized all application materials and staff reports are available at the planning office during business hours.

On calendar business, the commission voted to cancel the July meeting (no applications were filed) and move the August meeting to Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 5:30 p.m.; staff said commissioners will be contacted the Friday before meetings to confirm quorum.