Set July 14, 2025, as the date of the public hearing to review an Ordinance amending Mankato City Code, Chapter 10, Section 10-1703 related to signage requirements in the Office Residential zoning district; by request of the City of Mankato.

At the May 28, 2025, meeting, the Planning Commission reviewed the ordinance amendment to Section 10-1703 and recommended setting July 14, 2025, as the date of public hearing.

The City of Mankato is requesting to set the date of public hearing as July 14, 2025, to review Mankato City Code section 10-173, which provides guiding criteria for signage in the O-R, Office Residential, zoning district. 

The O-R, Office Residential, zoning district is designed and intended to provide for medium-density development in strategic locations and encourage an optimum mix of office, institutional, and residential uses. Permitted uses within the district include a wide variety of office and residential-type uses, including, but not limited to, one, two, and multiple-family dwellings, nursing homes, churches, child daycare, dental and medical clinics, professional service offices and schools. As such, the signage code pertaining to this zoning designation currently contains two sections; one section provides signage criteria for non-office uses, such as residential-type properties, and one section provides signage criteria for office uses. This code update combines two existing sections into a unified section in which each particular use is addressed and provides consistency between the uses on the number of allowable monument signage, among other modifications.  The proposed changes to the Code are detailed as follows:  

• Modification to allow a second monument for office developments that abut two or more public streets. The current non-office use section of the O-R signage code allows this. However, the office use section of the Code does not provide consistent language and rather limits signage in the office use areas to no more than 2 signs, with no more than one being a monument sign. The proposed Code update incorporates a sentence in the business and office signs section that states, "One monument sign shall be permitted per development, there may be a second monument sign if the use abuts two or more public streets." The current language that limits the office monument signage to one is proposed to be removed. 

• Combination of the "non-office" and "office" use-types into one code section. 

• Modification to add illumination criteria for signage facing residential uses. Other commercial districts also contain criteria relating to the illumination of signage facing residential districts. The proposed Code update states, "Signs facing or visible from properties used for residential purposes shall be non-illuminated."  

• Modification to provide an allowable wall area for wall signage in the district and clarity on the allowable quantity of signs. The code does not currently contain guiding criteria, and the proposed clarifications will make this district consistent with allowable wall signage in other commercial districts. The proposed Code update states, "Total wall signage on any wall of any building shall not exceed 10% of the respective wall area." 

• Modification to allow one wall sign per principal building in the Office Residential District. The Code currently allows that no more than 2 signs shall be permitted, with no more than one being a monument sign. This update allows a wall sign per primary building in place of the current limitation of two signs.