HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 04-14 Council lifts moratorium on erecting billboards DISPATCH St.Paul Dispatch Tuesday,April 14,1981
Council lifts moratorium on erecting billboards
By a 3-2 vote,the Maplewood a • Outdoor Adve-tising Company of that many signs in Maple Wood to a month to advertise their mes-
City Council recently lifted a one Maplewood the Twin Cities,Inc.,said,"Bust- worry about." sages on 12-by-24-foot poster
and-a-half-year moratorium on nessmen need signs." And Councilman Gary Bastian panels and$1,500 a month to ad-
erecting billboards. She also warned that if the echoed, "I happen to like bill- vertise on 14-by-49-foot hand-
At the same time,the council council was too restrictive with boards. Do you remember the Painted signs.
tabled a proposed new billboard its proposed ordinance,her firm old Grain Belt beer signs?" Of the 28 cities in the state
ordinance that calls for eliminat- could lose several major signs (Grain Belt signs have featured with populations of 20,000 or
ing some large-sized billboards 9 and nearly$500,000. quick visual jokes.) more,Jorgensen said five cities
in the city. '^ Pointing out that her firm has But Councilman Norman An- prohibit outdoor advertising and
That proposal would reduce 4 s �" CVir nosigns in residential neighbor- derson.,who voted in the minori- four communities require that
� signs be no larger than 300
sizes from approximately 850 hoods, Jorgensen spoke for re- ty,said,"Many cities will not al- square feet.But 19 cities allow
square feet to Z00 square feet taming the present ordinance low any billboards." bigger signs.
and probibit signs in some corn- with perha% ps some changes in And Councilwoman Fran
mercial areas. spacing limitations between Juker remarked,"The ones(bill- Company policy is that 65 per
signs. cent of the billboards in a city
Meanwhile,City Manager Bar- Greavu Anderson Bastian # Juker boards)up on Highway 36 should ,feature local advertising while
ry Evans and city staffers will Speaking for the council ma- be torn down.' 35 percent feature national ad-
consult with the Chamber of residents on designating bill- At the council meeting,Nancy jority, Mayor John Greavu ob- Jorgensen told the council, vertising.Of that 35 percent,17
Commerce, businessmen and board areas. Jorgensen,an official of Naegele served: "I don't think we have "We try to be careful about the percent may be cigarettes and li-
placement of signs and we main- quor.
tarn ours." State law limits billboards to
She said businessmen pay$250 1,000 square feet.