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Council approves 80-foot QuickTrip sign variance after split debate
Summary
After debate about corridor precedent and visibility, the Little Falls City Council approved an 80-foot sign variance for a QuickTrip drive-up location following an earlier ambiguous denial vote; final roll call was 621 in favor.
The Little Falls City Council voted on June 15 to approve a requested variance allowing a QuickTrip sign to reach a top height of 80 feet, overriding the Planning Commission's earlier recommendation to deny the request.
Staff explained the request came with FAA approval and that the proposed sign location and line of sight, when viewed from the highway, appeared consistent with nearby large signs. Planning staff presented video demonstrating the sign's visibility relative to other corridor signage.
Council members debated granting the variance. Some members voiced concern that an 80-foot sign could set a corridor precedent and disadvantage existing businesses; others said the site's distance from the highway and existing sight lines warranted the height. One council member noted there were no public objections recorded at the planning commission public hearing.
An initial roll call on a resolution to deny the variance produced several 'no' votes and one 'yes' (Hansen), prompting procedural confusion about whether the denial carried. The council then took a separate motion to approve the 80-foot top-of-sign variance; the final roll call recorded six votes in favor and one opposed (Hansen), and the council approved the variance.
The council did not record additional conditions tied to the approval on the meeting transcript; staff noted the approval could set a precedent and emphasized that variances are considered on a case-by-case basis.
