All signs hereafter erected or maintained, except government signs shall conform to the provisions of this ordinance.
(A) Purpose. The purpose of these sign regulations is to govern the use, approval, construction, change, replacement, location, and design of signs on territory subject to the county’s jurisdiction in order to promote health, safety, and welfare within the county. The sign regulations are meant to encourage the effective use of signs for communication; limit hazardous or distracting signs; ensure and improve pedestrian and traffic safety; protect, conserve, and enhance property values; and enhance and protect aesthetics and the county’s visual environment and local character. The sign regulations are not intended to and do not restrict, limit, or control the content or message of signs.
(B) Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply. For terms not defined below, definitions contained elsewhere in the code shall apply. In the event definitions below differ or conflict with definitions provided elsewhere in the code, the definitions provided herein shall apply only to this section.
COMMERCIAL SPEECH. Speech advertising a business, profession, commodity, service or entertainment.
GOVERNMENT SIGN. A sign that is erected or maintained by a governmental unit.
NAMEPLATE SIGN. A sign including postal identification numbers, whether written or in number form, and, optionally, the name of the building or building occupant.
NON-COMMERCIAL SPEECH. Dissemination of messages not classified as commercial speech, which include, but are not limited to, messages concerning political, religious, social, ideological, public service and informational topics.
NON-RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. Property not classified as residential property.
OFF-SITE SIGN. A sign, including the supporting sign structure, that contains commercial speech and advertises a business, commodity, or service that is not necessarily located, offered, or performed on the premises on which the sign is located; commonly known as a “billboard.”
ON-SITE SIGN. A sign that contains commercial speech which pertains to the use of the premises and/or property on which it is located.
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. A parcel containing a dwelling or residence, as those terms are defined in Article 8 of this code. When a parcel qualifying as residential property includes farmland or land used for agriculture that surrounds the dwelling or residence, the portion of the parcel considered to be residential property shall be one acre surrounding the dwelling.
SIGN. Any device, structure, fixture, or placard using graphic symbols, and/or written copy displayed for communicative or informational purposes and visible to members of the public who are not on the premises on which the device is located, including any structure erected primarily for use in connection with the display on such device and all lighting or other attachments used in connection.
TEMPORARY SIGN. A sign that is not permanently installed and is displayed concurrent with a specific event or occurrence for a limited duration, after which the sign must be removed.
(C) General provisions. The following regulations shall apply to all signs hereinafter permitted in all Districts:
(1) Signs shall not be permitted within the public right-of-way or easements, except government signs.
(2) Flashing or rotating signs, which resemble emergency vehicles, shall not be permitted.
(3) No sign shall be erected or maintained that purports to be or resembles an official marker erected by a governmental agency or a government sign.
(4) No sign shall, because of position, shape, color, or design, interfere in any way with the proper function or purpose of a traffic sign or signal.
(5) No sign shall be erected or maintained which by its design, height, width, shape, or location obstructs or interferes with a driver’s view of approaching, merging, or intersecting traffic for a distance not to exceed 500 feet.
(6) No sign shall be permitted to obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway, or opening intended to provide light, air, ingress, or egress for any building or structure.
(7) Signs shall be maintained in good condition. Signs that have become rotted, unsafe, unsightly, or unreadable shall be repaired or removed by the owner or lessee of the property upon which the sign stands with notice from the County Board.
(8) The owner, lessee, or manager of any ground sign and the owner of the land on which the same is located shall keep grass or weeds and other growth cut and debris and rubbish cleaned up and removed from the lot on which a sign is located.
(9) Where a sign is illuminated, the source of light shall be external and not shine upon any part of a dwelling or into any residential district or any roadway.
(10) No sign shall be painted directly on the outside wall of a building, except in commercial or industrial districts, in which case such signs shall be governed by the square footage allowed in that district.
(11) Signs shall not be painted on fences, rocks, or similar structures or features, nor shall paper or similar signs be attached directly to a building wall by an adhesive or similar means.
(12) Symbols, statues, sculptures, and integrated architectural features on buildings may be illuminated by floodlights provided the source of light is not visible from a public right-of-way or adjacent property.
(13) Any sign greater than one-half square foot in surface area shall be set back at least ten feet from any property line or public right-of-way.
(14) No sign shall be permitted within ten feet of any road or highway right-of-way.
(15) No sign shall be permitted within 30 feet from either right-of-way where highways or roads intersect.
(16) The owner of any sign that is otherwise allowed may substitute non-commercial speech for any other commercial or non-commercial speech without any additional approval or permitting, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary.
(D) Temporary signs.
(1) One temporary sign may be displayed on a parcel during the time the parcel is under construction or development, which shall not exceed 240 square feet of surface area and shall be located on the project site. Such sign must be removed no more than seven days after the completion of the construction or development.
(2) One temporary sign may be displayed on a parcel during the time the parcel is for sale or available for rent or lease, which shall not exceed 25 square feet per surface. Such sign must be removed no more than seven days following the sale or leasing of the parcel.
(3) One temporary sign may be displayed concurrent with a one-time or special event for a period of no more than 30 days. Such sign shall not exceed 25 square feet in surface area.
(4) Subject to M.S. § 211B.045, as it may be amended from time to time, or successor statute, signs containing non-commercial speech may be posted beginning 46 days before a primary election in a general election year until ten days following the general election.
(5) The owner or lessee of the property on which the temporary sign is displayed is responsible for removal of such sign.
(E) Off-site signs.
(1) Off-site signs may be erected in Highway Commercial and Industrial Zoning Districts only, except that off-site signs are prohibited in Shoreland Overlay and Flood Plain Overlay Districts. Off-site signs are prohibited in all other zoning districts.
(2) The maximum area of an off-site sign face, whether a single sign face or each face of two back-to-back or V-type signs shall not exceed 700 square feet including border and trim, but excluding base and apron supports and other structural members. Said maximum size limitation shall apply to each side of an off-site sign structure. Signs structures placed back-to-back or in a V-type construction, with no more than two displays, shall be considered one sign (see diagram 1 of Figure 4.1).
(3) Off-site signs shall not exceed 55 feet in total length and a maximum height of 35 feet above grade, with a minimum clearance height of 15 feet above grade (see diagram 1 of Figure 4.1). Off-site signs abutting an elevated state or federal highway may exceed the maximum height requirement, provided that the top of the sign shall not exceed 15 feet above the road grade elevation of such elevated four-lane highway directly adjacent to such property on which the sign is positioned.
(4) No off-site sign shall be erected within 1,000 feet of another off-site sign (see diagram 2 of Figure 4.1).
(5) No off-site sign shall be located closer than 450 feet from the intersection of any road or highway with another road, highway, or railroad; except that an off-site sign may be affixed to or located adjacent to a building at such intersection in such a manner as not to cause any greater obstruction of vision than that caused by the building itself (see diagram 2 of Figure 4.1).
(6) No off-site sign shall be permitted within ten feet, nor beyond 300 feet, of a road or highway right-of-way (see diagram 3 of Figure 4.1).
(7) No off-site sign shall be erected or maintained within 500 feet of a church, school, dwelling, historic site, public or rest area, and the boundary of a residential district or local, state or national park.
(8) No off-site sign shall project over a public right-of-way.
(9) No off-site sign shall be painted or attached to vehicles where the vehicle is parked on a property and not intended to be moved.
(F) Signs on residential property. Signs on residential property in all zoning districts are subject to the following regulations:
(1) One nameplate sign for each dwelling shall be allowed. Such sign shall not exceed two square feet in area per surface and no such sign shall be so constructed as to have more than two surfaces.
(2) One nameplate sign for each dwelling group of six or more units shall be allowed. Such sign shall not exceed six square feet in area per surface and no such sign shall be so constructed as to have more than two surfaces.
(3) One on-site or nameplate sign shall be allowed for each residential subdivision. Such signs shall not exceed 12 square feet in area per surface and no sign shall have more than two surfaces.
(4) One nameplate sign for each home occupation allowed as a permitted or conditional use under the County Zoning Code shall be allowed. Such sign shall not exceed two square feet in area per surface and no such sign shall be so constructed as to have more than two surfaces.
(5) One on-site sign for each home occupation allowed as a permitted or conditional use under the County Zoning Code shall be allowed. Such signs shall not exceed 12 square feet in area per surface and no sign shall have more than two surfaces.
(6) No sign shall exceed ten feet in height above the average grade level.
(G) On-site signs on non-residential property in residential and mixed-use districts. Signs on non-residential property in Limited Residential (LR), Urban Expansion (UE), and Village Mixed Use (VMX) Districts are subject to the following regulations:
(1) One on-site sign, not exceeding 24 square feet in area, shall be allowed on per lot. Such signs may be illuminated, but not flashing.
(2) Additional on-signs may be allowed a lot with a conditional use permit, subject to the following standards:
(a) The total surface area of all on-site signs on a lot shall not exceed the sum of two square feet per lineal foot of lot frontage or 250 square feet in surface area, whichever is less. In the case of a lot having more than one frontage, the frontage designated by the mailing address shall be used.
(b) The total number of on-site signs on a lot shall not exceed four in number, of which not more than two shall be free standing.
(3) No sign shall project above the permitted building height for the zoning district in which it is located.
(H) On-site signs on non-residential property in Industrial, Commercial and Agricultural Zoning Districts. Signs on non-residential property in Agricultural Protection (A-1), Highway Commercial (HC) and General Industrial (I) Districts are subject to the following regulations:
(1) One on-site sign, not exceeding 200 square feet in the A-1 Agriculture Protection District and 250 square feet in Commercial and Industrial Districts, shall be allowed per lot. Such signs may be illuminated, but not flashing;
(2) Signs in the A-1 Agriculture Protection District over 200 square feet shall only be allowed by conditional use permit;
(3) The total surface area of on-site signs on a lot shall not exceed two times the lineal feet of frontage of the lot or 500 square feet in surface area, whichever is less. In the case of a lot having more than one frontage, the frontage designated by the mailing address shall be used.
(4) The total number of on-site signs on the zoning lot shall not exceed three in number and no more than two of those signs may be freestanding.
(5) No single sign shall exceed the size referenced in (1) and (2) above.
(6) No sign shall exceed 35 feet in height. No roof sign or sign attached to a building shall exceed a height of ten feet above the highest outside wall or parapet of any principal building.
(I) Licenses and permit fees.
(1) All signs erected, with the exception of nameplate and temporary signs, shall require a zoning permit. Application for such a permit shall be accompanied by all necessary information, as set forth on the application form available from the Zoning Administrator.
(2) All signs for which a permit is required shall be subject to inspection by the Zoning Administrator.
(3) The zoning permit fee shall be established by resolution of the County Board.
(4) Any official of the county may enter any property or premises to determine whether the provisions of this ordinance are being obeyed. Such entrance shall be made during business hours unless an emergency exists.
(5) All signs not maintained and kept in good repair shall be subject to removal, at the owner’s cost, upon direction of the County Board.
(Ord. 97, passed 7-21-2009; Ord. 118, passed 8-19-2014; Ord. 129, passed 7-17-2018; Ord. 131, passed 7-2-2019)