All posts in the topic Council vote Monday to allow commercial type signs in residential neighborhoods (Short link)

May 18 05:17 UTC

This coming Monday, the Roseville City Council will attempt to change a city
ordinance or law to allow the placement of commercial type signs in
residential neighborhoods for the first time in many years if not the first
time ever.

Last week when the council discussed this issue, Mr. Klausing and city
manager Malinen gave indicators that they planned on pushing this through
this coming Monday without much discussion.  When they were questioned as to
why this law needed to include residential neighborhoods, instead of just
restricting it to commercial and business areas, they essentially dismissed
the question.  They fully support this new proposal to allow commercial type
signs in residential neighborhoods.  The agenda packet for this coming
Monday calls for this.

Specifically what the council wants to do is change current law to allow
themselves the new ability to vote to allow "Signs which are affixed to
city-owned light poles, standards, and/or objects which contain information
advertising the City itself or City events, provided the signs have been
approved by the City Council and the City Public Works Director or the
Director's designee."

So some of you may be wondering what is driving this craziness.  Well the
Roseville Visitors Association wants to put up some signs at their own
expense on some city light poles by Rosedale and I believe along Larpenteur
Avenue.  Sounds simple and non controversial except banners of this type
have been illegal for many years.  So an ordinance or law change is needed
to allow this.

Well instead of passing a law that is very specific in nature, that is
restricted to city light poles in commercial industrial areas, that
specifically addresses the request before them form the Roseville Visitors
Association, the city council and staff went crazy and are proposing a
change that goes 10 times beyond what is needed.

The proposal they want to pass is so far reaching, that when questioned last
week, none of the council members or staff were even able to answer the
simplest questions as to what this proposal even includes.  They had no idea
if their proposal would allow 5 signs, 500 signs, or 5,000 new signs
throughout the city.

Now staff will try to claim this coming Monday that the city only owns light
poles in a few select commercial areas so this law would not apply to
residential areas.  Not exactly a truthful statement when reviewing city
records.

If you read the proposal in the council packet available on the city's
website, you will see that staff is sort of sanding off the truth so to
speak.  First, the city appears to only own light poles in commercial areas.
But the city fails to mention that they can install a light pole in any
residential neighborhood at any time, without the permission of any resident
who may live by it.   Second, the proposal says more than just city light
poles.  The law also includes "standards, and/or objects".  The city staff
to date has not produced any list of what this even means, and where these
so called "standards, and/or objects" are located.  From the comments made
by staff, even they have no idea what this means.  All I know for a fact is
that the city owns a lot of property in residential neighborhoods (mainly
parks) and controls a lot of road right-of-way, and this language would
allow commercial type banners to be hung from any "object" on these
properties.

Now staff and council members will claim that the law requires them to
approve these commercial type banners before they are put up and rest
assured that they won't allow them in residential neighborhoods.  Well again
this is sort of sanding off the truth so to speak.  First, nothing in the
law requires the council to notify citizens that a banner placement request
is before the city council.  Second, if this law passes, the council at any
time could vote to allow these commercial type banners to be placed in
residential neighborhoods next month, next year, or the next decade.
Currently by law, these type of banners are illegal and cannot be placed
anywhere regardless of the opinion of the current or any future city
council.

Here is the common sense kicker for you.  The council was asked a very
simple question this past Monday.  The question was, if you say that you
would never approve these commercial type banners in residential
neighborhoods, then why wouldn't you just pass a law that only allows them
in business and industrial areas only, and continue to leave them illegal in
residential neighborhoods?  The council simply gave dumb looks and stares
and ignored the question.  No council member or staff member wanted to
answer the question.

Roseville citizens wake up and contact your elected officials.  There is
absolutely no reason we need to change a law to allow more signage in
residential neighborhoods.  The Roseville Visitors Association has no
interest in putting up signage in residential neighborhoods.  I doubt most
homeowners want to stare out their window at more visual clutter.  Mr.
Klausing and city manager Malinen plan on ramming this through on Monday if
people don't speak up.  If you cannot contact these people this weekend,
better yet show up at the Monday council meeting at 6pm and let them know
what you think at public comment up front at the beginning of the meeting.

This item is on the agenda for this coming Monday, May 19, 2008 under agenda
item 7d, Consideration of an Amendment to Chapter 1009, Sign Regulations
pertaining to signs which are affixed to City owned light poles.

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