9.2. SR 07-15-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

City of Elk Request for Action River To Item Number Mayor and City Council 9.2 Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by Work Session July 15, 2013 T.John Cunningham,Fire Chief Item Description Reviewed by Signage in Right-of-Ways Chris Leeseber ,Park Planner-Planner Reviewed by Cal Portner, City Administrator Action Requested Direct staff on possible revision to � 30-859 of the Elk River Code of Ordinances pertaining to signage in the public right-of-way. Background/Discussion On June 3, 2013, the Council discussed the current ordinance which regulates the placement of signage in the public right-of-way (ROW). City Code � 30-859 prohibits, among other things, any signage that is "attached to trees,utility poles,public benches, or streetlights, or placed on any public property or right- of-way." Enforcement of this section has generated some concerns from residents who frequently hold garage sales and commonly place signage in the public right-of-way. Following the June 3 discussion, staff researched possible options for the Council to consider that would allow for certain exceptions to be made to the current ordinance including ordinances from a number of surrounding communities. A summary of those findings are attached as Exhibit 1. Elk River's current language is consistent with other communities. The ordinance, and enforcement activity,is also consistent with the city's visionary goal to enhance beautification. Action Step C7 specifically states, "actively enforce zoning and signage standards on primary corridors." Regulation of Content Council had asked for further information as to what extent the city can regulate signage based on specific classified groups (i.e. garage sales, not-for-profit advertising, community events, etc.). The city attorney has advised that cities cannot regulate content and advises against drafting an ordinance that would restrict signage display to specific groups. It would be possible, however,to restrict the display of signage in a public ROW during specific days (i.e. Thursday—Sunday). This,however,would need to be equally and fairly applied to everyone,including residents and businesses. Utility Lines One concern that was discussed at the June 3 meeting was that of utility lines that are commonly placed in the ROW. Generally, high power lines are placed at a minimum of 32" deep and secondary (including service) lines are placed 18-24" deep. TV cable and telephone service lines to individual properties are not placed very deep and can easily be disrupted by stakes and signage. Surface grading does change over P a w E R E U 6 Y NaA f RE]