(a) Purpose, intent, and findings. The City Council finds that large, off-premise advertising signs known commonly and in this city code as billboards create an immediate safety risk to the public by diverting the attention of persons operating vehicles from the surrounding travelways. The City Council further finds that billboards create visual obstructions that have undesirable effects on adjacent property owners and businesses and harm the overall aesthetics of the community's physical environment. This section promotes the general health, safety, and welfare and directly advances the city's substantial government interests by prohibiting the construction of new billboards in the city and confirming the legal nonconforming status of pre-existing billboards in the city. Furthermore, this section imposes reasonable regulations on legally nonconforming billboards to abate nuisance characteristics associated with billboards and to promote the public health, safety, and welfare by requiring proper construction and maintenance, prohibiting features most likely to cause distraction amongst persons operating vehicles, and reducing obstructions and visual clutter that harms the overall physical environment and aesthetics of the community.
(b) Billboard prohibition. Billboards are prohibited in all sign districts, unless expressly permitted by this sign code.
(c) Billboards in existence on August 6, 2009. Billboards legally in existence on August 6, 2009, shall have the status and rights of a legally established nonconforming sign pursuant to § 21.304.23 and M.S. § 462.357, subd. 1e, as it may be amended from time to time. To protect the public health, welfare, and safety, and to prevent and abate nuisances, pursuant to M.S. § 462.357, subd. 1e(b), all billboards, including legally established nonconforming billboards, are subject to the following regulations:
(2) Signs per face. No billboard structure may contain more than two signs per face.
(3) Animation. No animation is permitted on billboards.
(4) Maximum length. The length of any billboard, including trim and extensions, must not exceed 50 feet.
(5) Maximum copy area. The copy area for each billboard face is limited to 14 feet by 48 feet with no copy, projection, or extension to the top, sides, or bottom.
(6) Maximum height. No portion of any billboard, including the face, trim, or extensions, may exceed 40 feet above grade.
(7) Roof-mounting. No billboard shall be erected on or above the roof of any building.
(8) Rotation. No billboard or portion thereof may turn on an axis, rotate, revolve, or otherwise physically move.
(9) Maximum depth. The maximum depth of each sign face, measured from the outside, back to front, of each display panel surface, must not exceed two feet.
(10) Electronic display techniques. Any billboard utilizing electronic display techniques in whole or in part must meet the following operational regulations:
(A) Dwell time. The full billboard image or any portion thereof must have a static display as follows:
(i) Electronic changeable copy signs with ten words or less must have a static display for a minimum of eight seconds.
(ii) Electronic changeable copy signs with 11 words or more or electronic graphic display signs must have a static display for a minimum of 20 seconds.
(B) Transition. Where the full billboard image or any portion thereof changes, the change sequence must be accomplished by means of instantaneous re-pixelization.
(C) Brightness. The billboard must not exceed maximum illumination levels specified in § 21.301.07(c)(5), measured from the billboard's face at maximum brightness.
(D) Dimmer control. The billboard must have an automatic dimmer control to produce a distinct illumination change from a higher illumination level to a lower level for the time period between one-half hour before sunset and one-half hour after sunrise.
(E) Audio or pyrotechnics. Audio or any form of pyrotechnics are prohibited as part of a billboard.
(F) Flashing. No portion of any billboard may display the characteristics of a flashing sign.
(G) Video display. No portion of any billboard may display the characteristics of a video sign.
(d) Billboards permitted to continue. Following destruction of a legally established nonconforming billboard potentially eligible to continue after destruction under § 21.304.23(d)(2), the owner must apply for a sign permit to continue the billboard. The issuing authority may impose reasonable conditions on the sign permit to mitigate any new impacts upon adjacent properties.
(e) Digital conversion permitted. Notwithstanding § 21.304.23(b), a legally established nonconforming billboard may be converted from a non-digital to digital display, provided the billboard is in compliance with this section. A sign permit is required for the conversion.
(Ord. 2024-4, passed 2-26-2024)