Title
Approving the expansion of billboards eligible for removal as a result of conversion from static to dynamic displays.
Body
WHEREAS, on December 12, 2007, the Council of the City of Saint Paul (the “Council”) adopted ORD 07-1106, attached hereto as Exhibit 1, amending Leg. Code Chap. 64 and adopting Leg. Code § 64.302, to allow for the conversion of illuminated billboards to billboards with dynamic displays subject to certain described standards ; and
WHEREAS, Leg. Code § 64.302(b)(6) indicates that as part of the permit application for conversion to a billboard with dynamic display, the applicant shall agree in writing to remove permanently six (6) square feet of illuminated billboard faces or eight (8) square feet of non-illuminated faces for each square foot of dynamic display space being created and that billboards that the applicant owns or controls in residential zoning districts or any other locations designated for billboard removal by the city council must be taken down before billboards taken down in other areas of the city will be counted toward the requirement; and
WHEREAS, on December 23, 2009, the Council, pursuant to Leg. Code 64.302(b)(6), adopted RES 09-1390, attached hereto as Exhibit 2, authorizing any billboard located in the City’s “TN” (Traditional Neighborhood) Districts as being eligible for inclusion in the removal formula for calculating dynamic advertising sign conversion applications; and
WHEREAS, further, on February 17, 2010, the Council adopted RES 10-161, attached hereto as Exhibit 3, designating a list of 53 sign locations which must be taken down first for purposes of fulfilling the permit application requirements under Leg. Code § 64.302(b)(6); and
WHEREAS, since the adoption of Resolutions RES 10-161 and RES 09-1390 nearly 15 years ago, approximately 21 of the advertising signs designated under the said Resolutions have been removed; and
WHEREAS, the Council finds that strict adherence to the sign removal priorities established under RES 10-161 now appear to have the unintended consequence of impeding the Council’s stated goals of reducing the number of billboards in the city and protecting and improving the views, aesthetics, community pride and investment; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that while billboards located in residential zoning districts or described in RES 09-1390 or included on the list in RES 10-161 continue to be a priority, any billboard owned or controlled by the applicant within the city limits of Saint Paul may be removed to fulfill the permit application requirement under Leg. Code § 64.302(b)(6).