ITEM 4 MemoTPC3601 Thurston Avenue N, Suite 100
Anoka, MN 55303
Phone: 763.231 .5840
Facsimile: 763.427.0520
TPC(!'LDPlanningCo.com
MEMORANDUM
TO: Otsego Mayor and City Council
FROM: Daniel Licht, AICP
DATE: 5 March 2015
RE: Otsego — Jamfest 2015
TPC FILE: 101.01
BACKGROUND
Rockwoods has contacted City staff to inform us that Jamfest 2015 is planned as a one
night event on 14 August 2015 and to again request use of temporary signs at TH
101/CSAH 39 and TH 101/CSAH 42. Rockwoods indicated that the temporary signs
would also be made available for the City's use for advertising Prairie Festival on 12
September 2015.
ANALYSIS
The Zoning Ordinance defines signs to be accessory uses of property and prohibits use
of any off -premises advertising within the City. The City has previously allowed
Rockwoods to use temporary signs for Jamfest located off -premises by incorporating
the City logo and defining the signs as "official signs" serving a public purpose, which
are exempt from the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance.
The City Council has also expressed concerns in the past regarding the allowance of
these temporary signs as banners on the side of semi -trailers for aesthetic reasons and
for the duration for which they are displayed as their use includes not only Jamfest but
Prairie Festival and the Highway 101 Market Corn Maze and has extended up to six
months. Outside of making off -premises signs allowed generally within the City, options
to allow limited use of temporary off -premises signs are few due to the need for the
Zoning Ordinance to establish consistent, content neutral regulations of signs to avoid
potential legal challenges on a 1St Amendment rights basis. Sign regulations may only
address area, height, setback and structures generally or within a specific zoning
district.
Defining a either permanent or temporary sign as serving a public purpose requiring the
approval of the City Council as official signs gives the City greater discretion to allow
such structures versus a private sign permitted by the City that would need to be
available to all other users under the same zoning district requirements. A general
allowance of off -premises signs by the Zoning Ordinance would likely lead to greater
proliferation of these signs and would not be consistent with past recommendations of
the Planning Commission and actions of the City Council since the City incorporated. If
the intent is to continue to allow the temporary signs as has been done in the past, the
City Council may impose more strict aesthetic requirements on the structure, sign area
and location of the temporary signs.
CONCLUSION
This item is for discussion at the City Council work session on 9 March 2015. City staff
is seeking direction from the City Council to respond to Rockwood's request for use of
temporary signage for Jamfest 2015.
C. Lori Johnson, City Administrator
Tami Loff, City Clerk
Andy MacArthur, City Attorney
kil