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(A) The following are not regulated by this chapter.
(1) Building addresses.
(2) Historic plaques.
(3) Governmental signs for control of traffic and other regulatory or notification purposes as governed under Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and Minnesota MUTCD.
(4) Murals.
(5) Notices required to be posted by law, including, but not limited to warning signs, dangerous dog, hazardous building, building permit, etc.
(6) Seasonal decorations, including inflatable seasonal decorations.
(7) Sculptures.
(Ord. 806, passed 7-26-2022)
(A) A NONCONFORMING SIGN is any sign that was legally established and maintained in compliance with the provisions of all applicable laws in effect at the time of original installation but that does not now comply with the provisions of this chapter. It is the intent of this chapter to recognize that the eventual elimination of signs that do not comply with the provisions of this chapter is as important as the prohibition of new signs that would violate these standards.
(B) General requirements. A nonconforming sign may not be:
(1) Changed to another nonconforming sign.
(2) Expanded.
(3) Reestablished after a business discontinued for more than one year.
(4) Reestablished after damage or destruction of more than 50% of its value, as determined by the Building Official, and no building permit has been applied for within 180 days of when the damage occurred.
(C) Amortization. After the date of enactment of this chapter, nonconforming signs located within any zoning district shall be brought into compliance with this chapter if said sign is to be expanded.
(D) Maintenance and repair. Non-conforming signs and sign structures may be maintained and repaired.
(Ord. 806, passed 7-26-2022)
An ABANDONED SIGN is a sign that has been inactive for a period of at least one year. An abandoned sign shall be removed by the owner or lessee of the premises upon which the sign is located when the activity related to said sign is no longer conducted on the premises. If the owner or lessee fails to remove the sign, the Zoning Administrator shall give the owner 30 days written notice to remove it. Upon failure to comply with the notice, the Zoning Administrator may have the sign removed at the owner’s expense.
(Ord. 806, passed 7-26-2022)
The city may grant a variance to provide relief to a property owner when the strict enforcement of the regulations for sign size, setbacks, height, and the like imposes practical difficulty on the property owner’s ability to reasonably display a message. Financial considerations are not justification for variances. The procedure for reviewing a variance shall follow that process outlined for zoning variances in § 154.004
(E).
(Ord. 806, passed 7-26-2022)
If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this section or its application to any person or situation should be held to be invalid or unconstitutional for any reason by a court or competent jurisdiction, such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the remaining portions of this section or its application to any other person or situation.
(Ord. 806, passed 7-26-2022)