Grand Marais councilors took the first step toward changing the city’s roof sign ordinance when they unanimously approved a proposed revision at their March 10, 2010 meeting.
The revision was recommended by the city’s planning commission, which began discussing the regulations for roof signs at the end of last year. The action was prompted when Cook County Whole Foods Co-op was granted a conditional use permit to place a sign on the roof over the northfacing wall of their downtown building. Although there were no formal public objections to the sign, planning commission members decided to review the ordinance in the interest of long-term planning.
The suggested changes are minor in nature. Roof signs will continue to be allowed by conditional use only; signs will not be allowed to project higher than 5 feet (down from 10 feet) above the height of the building; for buildings less than 50 feet wide, the sign may not extend more than 10 percent of the building width above the roof; height of the sign may not exceed 30 feet above grade; and the bottom of roof signs may be no higher than the top of the roof where attached.
The last provision caused the most discussion, as some councilors said they heard comments that the co-op sign resembled a billboard. By closing the space between the bottom of the sign and the top of the building, as the new ordinance does, it is believed the sign will look more like a part of the building.
Meeting on March 3, when they held a public hearing on the matter, City Administrator Mike Roth told the planning commission it was their job to come up with the amendment and make a recommendation, and council’s job to decide if it was needed. “You had some misgivings about the co-op sign, and that’s why we’re holding this hearing,” Roth said.
Although there were no members of the public in attendance, there was some brief discussion among the members, all of whom agreed that the change was necessary. “Our job is to be pro-active,” commented Jim Shinners. “You can bet that in a few years we’re going to be dealing with this again, and I’d rather be more restrictive than not.”
Sherri Carlson said she didn’t think the changes were too harsh. “Theissue is the gap between the bottom of the sign and the top of the roof, and this ordinance takes care of that,” she said.
City councilors expressed many of the same sentiments a week later, although nobody had any problems with the appearance of the co-op’s new sign.
Jan Sivertson said she supported the change mainly to head off future problems in the event other building owners request permits for similar signs. She said she read some comments on Facebook, mostly in favor of more restrictions. “It’s an aesthetic thing that people don’t like the roof signs, but I think there are other rumblings, not as much about now, as in the future,” she said. “It’s harder to say no to somebody else when one has already been approved.”
Kay Costello said she heard some “general concerns” about the downtown area, such as people wondering if there would someday be “architectural police,” or comments such as, “Oh my gosh — if they (coop) can have it, it might happen elsewhere.” Costello said she advised people that if they have a problem with the co-op’s sign, they should speak with the co-op directly.
Mayor Sue Hakes, who said at a previous meeting that she didn’t believe the ordinance needed to be changed, said she would back the planning commission’s recommendation. “I like the co-op sign, but I’ll support the planning commission’s recommendation because they took a look at it and spent some time with it,” she said. Hakes said she heard only a few comments on the subject, and those were from residents of other parts of the county.
Roth said he heard “only two or three comments, and nothing serious at that,” and said no comments were received one way or the other at City Hall.
With council’s approval of the first reading, the amendment revision will be before council at its next meeting for a second reading, and if approved, will become effective upon publication.
In other business:
. Council authorized the transfer of $35,000 from the
General Fund to the Gunflint Hills Golf Course. Finance Director Kim Dunsmoor said the city-owned golf course lost just $1,500 last year, a big improvement over the previous year. While the improvement is a big step toward council’s goal of making the golf course self-sufficient, Roth said annual operating losses in the range of $5,000 to $15,000 should be
expected. “That’s more realistic,” he said. “A pattern’s been
established over the years.”
. Themayor reported that she received a call from Steve
Schug of Tofte, who notified her that the Superior National Forest plans to host the Boy Scouts of America’s Order of the Arrow in June 2011, and an estimated 500-600 Scouts will participate. Hakes said city officials should think of some way to offer a special welcome to Grand Marais.
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