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To <br />City Council <br />Meeting Date <br />July 15, 2024 <br />Item, Description <br />Variance: Freestanding Sign Size, 18823 Freeport St. <br />NVV - Holiday Gas Station <br />Item Number <br />7.1 <br />Prepared By <br />Chris Leeseberg, Senior Planner <br />Reviewed by <br />Zacl< Carlton <br />Cal Portner <br />Tina Allard <br />a <br />Action Requested <br />Direct staff, by motion, to prepare a resolution malting Findings of Fact denying the sign size (area) variance <br />for the following reasons: <br />1. The general purpose and intent of the ordinance is not met. <br />2. Installing a sign that exceeds the commercial zoning district limits by — 180% is not reasonable. <br />3. The interchange at Highway 169 and School Street is not a unique circumstance requiring a sign larger <br />than the 150 square feet that is currently permitted. <br />4. A sign, that is 276 square feet would be the largest and tallest sign in the area and would aker the <br />essential character of the area. <br />Background/Discussion <br />The property is zoned Highway Commercial (C3) which limits the size of freestanding signs to 150 sq.ft. The <br />applicant has requested a variance to exceed the permitted sign size of signage by 126 sq.ft. (144 sq.ft. main <br />sign, 132 sq.ft. gas pricing, 276 sq.ft. total). During the construction of the interchange at Highway 169 and <br />School Street, the existing freestanding sign on the property was removed and has not yet been replaced. <br />During their June 25, 2024, meeting, the Board of Adjustments (BOA) denied the variance for an increase in <br />sign size and as a result, the request was automatically appealed to the City Council for cons i deration. The <br />BOA dlid approve the request for an increase in signage height to 50above the adjacent grade of Hlighway <br />169. <br />The Board noted that they had dliscussed increasing sign heights during the recent sign ordinance amendment <br />discussion, but did not support an increase to the allowed sign area. They did not believe the request satisfied <br />the ordinance requirements. <br />Variances may be granted when the petitioner establishes that the variance satisfies all five of the criteria <br />described below. The variance is: <br />1. Is in harmony with the general purpose aindl intent of the ordinance, and <br />The Elk River Vision <br />A welro�wiwcopwlll"Ivlt�' P ith ahld S"5h-i�ed resaw-e-�fiVncss' exr����fional se� -I jce� and copwll'wlity <br />I IP 10 1 1 R 1 01 1 Y <br />tbhlf ar e'oflPa CS M"d jn'��bjres <br />NAWRd 159 <br />