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Faribault Sign Ordinance
Faribault, Minnesota
Public Review and Comment Period
The Draft Sign Code Ordinance is attached for public review.
You are asked to review the document and submit comments to Greg Kruschke, City of Faribault and Mike Darrow, SEH.
This information will be posted for public comment until the formal public hearing date is set by the Planning Commission. Based upon input from the general public, business owners, staff, steering committee members and key stakeholders, the sign ordinance was updated to address the following key areas:
- Reduce the number of sign variances by allowing greater flexibility as it relates to signage within the commercial and industrial districts.
- Allow business owners to develop comprehensive sign plans for multi-tenant buildings so that signage calculations can be determined.
- The new language should be written in a fashion that is clear. Graphics and illustrations have been developed that help with understanding the strict interpretation of the ordinance.
Below is a review of the key aspects of the ordinance amendment. You will note that the draft ordinance has strikeout language for sections that are proposed to be deleted and underlined language for sections that are to be added.
- Awning signs, canopy signs, sign elements, freestanding signs, hanging signs and sign height have been added to or amended to sign definitions as part of the update. (sign definitions)
- Design standards and sign bonuses have been added to the ordinance. The design standards will encompass signs within all zoning districts. The sign bonus will be allowed only within commercial and industrial districts. The sign bonus allows wall signage to transfer from one wall to another.
- A comprehensive sign plan requirement has been added, and will be required for all signs located within a multi-tenant commercial or industrial site. A business or industry will be allowed to have a joint freestanding sign with a neighboring property through a comprehensive sign plan.
- New graphics for the calculation of sign area were added, as were graphics for other sign requirements.
- There is no longer a maximum number of signs per property, provided that the property or project adheres to the total sign area calculation (one and one half square feet of signage for each lineal foot of building frontage plus one additional square feet of signage for each lineal foot of street frontage). This will allow commercial and industrial users greater flexibility when planning for signage.
- Properties will be allowed to have one freestanding sign per street frontage. An additional freestanding sign will be allowed for properties that have over 1000 feet of frontage on a single street.
- Projecting and hanging signs will be allowed in the commercial district.
- A five foot setback from all property lines will be required for all freestanding signs. These signs will not be allowed within any public easement.
- Specific standards for placement, size and coverage were developed for wall, freestanding, awning, projecting, hanging and canopy signs. (Hanging and Projecting signs are not permitted in Industrial Districts)
- Graphics have been added that depict permitted sign area, wall sign design, projecting sign design, sign types, awning signs and multi-tenant signs.
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The Variance Matrix Table highlights several applications that required a sign variance over the past couple of years in Faribault. The Square Footage Matrix is a comparison of the highlighted variance applications that were approved under the existing ordinance and the amount of signage /flexibility that would have been allowed under the new sign ordinance. The proposed sign ordinance will allow greater flexibility in the number of signs allowed and therefore will reduce the total number of variances required.
Square Footage Matrix
Variance Matrix
For more information, contact:
Mike Darrow
Project Manager
612.758.6782
Greg Kruschke
City Zoning Administrator
507.333.0350
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