Adopt Ordinance #22-20 Armstrong Boulevard Interchange/Highway 10 Signage Overlay District Zoning Code Text Amendment

Anoka County staff working with business property owners affected by the upcoming Highway 10 reconstruction project in Ramsey are reporting concerns about future visibility of their businesses.  Visibility impacts are anticipated in a similar manner to the Armstrong Boulevard interchange with overpasses constructed for Ramsey Boulevard and Sunfish Lake Boulevard.  The original Armstrong Boulevard Interchange Overlay District, created in 2013, was intended to create relief to businesses anticipated to be affected by that interchange.  In the last few years, however, the City Council has granted three requests for taller and larger signs in that area.  The three signs are 75 feet in height with sign faces ranging between 225 and 334 square feet.  Two of the three signs are for multi-tenant buildings and the third one is purely a dynamic sign. Staff is proposing to be proactive for the impacted businesses and expand the Armstrong Boulevard Interchange Overlay District to the east border of Ramsey and, in the process, rename it to reflect the entire freeway corridor. 

At the Planning Commission meeting on May 26, 2022, the Planning Commission gave direction to increase the height from the existing 50 feet to 75 feet.  The existing 150 square feet in sign area would remain for a single-user sign with increased area for multi-tenant/multi-user signs to 300 square feet. The Commission unanimously recommended approval of the ordinance on June 23 at the public hearing.  
 
Businesses will continue to have the ability to apply for a conditional use permit (CUP) for oversized signs.  Staff is looking to be proactive and reduce the likelihood of a business incurring expense and added delay of going through the CUP process.  Signs meeting City Code standards would simply need a permit to be erected. 

It should also be noted that a portion of the proposed overlay district is also within the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area.  That overlay district has height limitations that must be met that are more restrictive than the proposed ordinance (either 35 feet or the height of the treeline, depending on subdistrict).  
 

Staff sent a public hearing notice to property owners within 750 feet of the centerline of Highway 10 via standard US mail.  A notice of the Public Hearing was also published in the Anoka County UnionHerald, the City's official newspaper.  Two written comments were received and are attached to this case.

Alternatives to consider:

1. Adopt Ordinance #22-20 as recommended by the Planning Commission and staff.
2. Adopt Ordinance #22-20 with modifications.
3. Deny the ordinance keeping the existing regulations in place.

Not applicable.  

At its meeting on June 23, 2022, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the proposed Code Amendment (Ordinance #22-20).  The City Council introduced the ordinance on July 12, 2022.

Motion to waive the Charter requirement to read the ordinance aloud and adopt Ordinance #22-20 amending Section 117-1 (DEFINITIONS) and Section 117-519 (BUSINESS TYPE DISTRICTS) of the City Code of Ramsey, Minnesota.