Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Signage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Arden Hills planners approve larger signage for Lake Johanna fire station in 6-1 vote
Summary
The Planning Commission voted 6-1 to allow the Lake Johanna Fire Department to exceed sign limits for a new station at 3535 Pine Tree Drive, approving 235 sq ft of wall signage, a 79 sq ft freestanding monument and a 72 sq ft graphic emblem with conditions limiting precedent.
The Arden Hills Planning Commission on Feb. 4 recommended approval of a sign-standard adjustment for the new Lake Johanna Fire Department station at 3535 Pine Tree Drive, approving larger wall, graphic and monument signs by a 6-1 vote.
Senior Planner Elena Fransen told the commission the applicant seeks flexibility from Sign District 7 limits to install 163 square feet of wall signage plus 72 square feet of graphic signage (a combined 235 square feet where code allows 45 square feet), a 79-square-foot freestanding monument (code allows 25 square feet), and a 72-square-foot edge-lit graphic logo attached to the building. Fransen said graphic signs are not permitted in Sign District 7 under current rules and staff advised the applicant to apply for a sign standard adjustment through site plan review.
Commissioners debated whether the size and graphic element were necessary for wayfinding and public safety or whether they amounted to marketing that would set a precedent. Commissioner Patrick Burlingame said the station will serve an emergency response role and a civic-identity purpose; he recommended any approval be framed narrowly as tied to the property’s public emergency-services use. Commissioner Brad Bjorklund said he could not support the graphic element and raised concerns the signs leaned toward marketing rather than public identification.
Fire Chief Tim Boehlke explained the fire department chose the phoenix emblem as its lead symbol and noted the station designation "Station 110" is assigned by Ramsey County; he said the emblem appears on vehicles and uniforms and argued that larger signage better matches the building scale. Assistant Chief Matt Sather described which signs would be illuminated.
Commissioner Burlingame moved and Commissioner Bjorklund seconded a motion to recommend approval of the sign-standard adjustment, and the commission added a finding that approval was based on the site’s public emergency-services use and "does not constitute a general precedent for Sign District 7." The motion passed 6-1, with Commissioner Bjorklund recorded in opposition.
The commission directed staff to include conditions consistent with the findings and to limit any precedent by tying the approval explicitly to the property’s civic function. The recommendation will advance to the City Council for final action.
