Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sign Variance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves expanded sign area at 5457 Nicollet Avenue despite staff recommendation
Summary
The Zoning Board approved a variance to increase sign area at 5457 Nicollet Ave from 54 to 66.67 sq ft, finding practical difficulties tied to existing frames and building design; staff had recommended denial.
On Dec. 4 the Minneapolis Zoning Board of Adjustment voted 4–1 to approve a sign-area variance for a business at 5457 Nicollet Avenue, allowing an increase in total on-site sign area from the code’s 54-square-foot allotment to 66.67 square feet.
Staff’s presentation described the proposal — a projecting blade sign plus two wall/transom signs that together total 66.67 square feet — and concluded the application did not demonstrate practical difficulties under the sign code; staff recommended denial. The staff report also noted the proposed signs are compatible with the CM2 zoning district but exceeded the numerical allotment.
Kelsey Sharp, a sign designer and installer who testified for the applicant, said the proposed signs use existing metal frames and are hand-painted on metal panels. “I run Sharp Signs… This is the first time I've ever applied for a variance,” Sharp said, explaining that fabricating new, smaller frames or altering the existing scaffolding would be costly and argued the proposed size is consistent with nearby tenants and legible at pedestrian and vehicle speeds.
Board members questioned how the code measures sign area and whether the building or tenants determined allotment. Staff explained that overall sign allotment is based on building size and that separate tenants may receive their own allotments; measuring conventions can require drawing a box around the sign backing. Several board members pressed whether the painted lettering itself — rather than the metal backing that spans the transom — should be the basis for area calculations.
A motion to approve the variance, advanced by a board member who argued the painted letters constitute the effective signage and the backing is architectural in appearance, passed on a 4–1 roll call. Chair Matt Perry congratulated the applicant and business on the approved sign. The board noted the city is working on sign-code updates that may alter permitting and measurement rules in the near future.
A resident who spoke in favor, Peter Rickmer, also used his time to raise a separate concern about overly bright city lighting and urged shielding; the chair directed him to his city council representative for broader lighting policy matters.
