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Memo - Electronic Signs9 MEMO To: City Council and Planning Commission From: Nancy Anderson Date: September 21, 2010 Subject: Electronic signs After the June 1 City Council meeting, the Council requested a work session to discuss electronic signs. History Holiday Companies requested an ordinance amendment to allow electronic signs to change every eight seconds. The Planning Commission recommended electronic signs be allowed to change every 12 seconds, and the Council discussed the amendment and referred it back to the Commission to consider a 20 -minute message change. The • Planning Commission recommended to the City Council a 20 -minute message change. The City Council then continued the item to the October 5t" City Council meeting. Existing Ordinance The existing ordinance allows electronic signs in every district except in the overlay district along Mainstreet, where the sign can change once every 24 hours. The overlay district does not allow back lit signs. Holiday Request Originally Holiday Companies requested that electronic signs that are located with 370 feet of frontage on State and County roads be allowed to change every 8 seconds. - Planning Commission Recommendation The last Planning Commission recommendation was that the electronic signs may change every 20 minutes. Should the ordinance be changed? Before considering the issues in the remainder of this memo, the City Council needs to • determine whether they want the sign ordinance amended to allow electronic signs to change more often than once every 24 hours. If the answer is no, then the City Council should deny Holiday's request and leave'the sign ordinance as it exists. If the answer is yes, then there appears to be two issues: where electronic changing signs may be located and the time duration of the message. Where should the signs be located? The following are some ways to limit the number of signs: • Distance from another electronic sign • Frontage — determine some amount of feet • Abutting State roads • Abutting County roads • Abutting State and County roads • Abutting residential -zoned property on the same side of street • Abutting residential -zoned property on the opposite side of street • B-3 district • Combination of the above Most of the B-3 district abuts State and County roads. The County roads are: Blake Road, Shady Oak road and Excelsior Boulevard. The State Road is Highway 7. Limiting the electronic signs to State and County roads would eliminate only the B-3 area on 11th Avenue in south Hopkins and one property on 17 Avenue. Distance from another electronic sign, a frontage requirement and prohibiting abutting a residential district will allow some businesses to have electronic changeable signs and other businesses not to have them. Duration of message Cities vary on the time the message can change. May cities use 20 minutes. Other issues The proposed ordinance has a maximum size of 32 square feet. I would not recommend a larger size. A smaller size could be the maximum. A limitation on color is another option. An example is The Blake School sign, which has white message with a black background. Vadnais Heights Attached is an article regarding the City of Vadnais Heights amending their sign ordinance to allow dynamic signs to change message every eight seconds. What was interesting is that the Vadnais Heights City Council decided that changing a sign too infrequently was also distracting. • Additional information from applicant Also attached is additional information from the applicant. Proposed Ordinance Below is the proposed ordinance from Holiday, except for the time duration. The 20 minutes is the recommendation from the Planning Commission. 570.44 Dynamic Changeable Copy Sign Subd. 1. District. A site within the B-3 district with frontage on a state or county highway. Subd. 2. Type. The dynamic sign may be located on a freestanding sign and shall be the lowest on sign. Subd. 3. Direction. The face or display of the dynamic sign must be perpendicular to the boundary of any adjoining residential district. Subd. 4. Number of dynamic signs. There shall not be more than one (1) dynamic sign located on a lot. • Subd. 5. Maximum display area of dynamic signs. The sign area of a dynamic display sign shall not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet. The area of dynamic signs shall be included in the calculation of the total permitted sign area for the site. Subd. 6. Character of the message and display. Signs with dynamic display must contain only static and stable text and/or images. Other modes of displaying messages, including scrolling, are prohibited. Modes of display that cause the message to flash are prohibited. Subd. 7. Duration of the message. Any message on the display shall remain static or stable for a period of not less than twenty (20) minutes. The interval between serial messages or changes of the display shall be at least twenty (20) minutes. Subd: 8. Transition between messages. The transition from one static and stable display to another must be direct and immediate without any special effects, including fading and dissolving. Subd. 9. Sound. Signs with dynamic display shall not emit sound. Subd. 10. Time. Dynamic display signs shall be turned off when the business is closed. Subd. 11. Maximum brightness and illumination. Dynamic signs shall be restricted in their illumination and brightness so that no sign with dynamic display may exceed 6 maximum illumination of .3 foot candles above ambient light levels as measured from one hundred (100) feet from the sign's face. All signs with dynamic displays must be equipped with an automatic dimmer control or other mechanism that automatically controls the sign's brightness to comply with this requirement. If there is a violation of the brightness standards, the adjustment must be made within one (1) business day upon notice of noncompliance from the city. Subd. 12. Malfunctioning dynamic signs. Signs with dynamic displays must be designed and equipped to freeze the sign face in one position if a malfunction occurs. Signs with dynamic displays must also be equipped with a means to immediately discontinue the display if it malfunctions. Subd. 13. Noncompliance. Operation of a dynamic sign not in compliance with these regulations. The sign owner or operator must immediately turn off the display within one (1) hour of notification by email from the city that it is not complying with the standards of this ordinance. • • One sign of the (electronic) times is in Vadnais Heights I StarTribune.com One sign of the (electronic) times is in Vadnais Heights Citing safety concerns, the City Council OK'd the display of new billboard messages every 8 seconds By TIM HARLOW, Star Tribune Last update: August 7, 2010 - 10:58 PM Digital message boards will be changing more frequently in Vadnais Heights, continuing a metrowide trend of targeting motorists with streams of changing advertisements. The City Council last week unanimously passed an amendment to a zoning ordinance to allow dynamic signs to change messages every eight seconds. The code previously allowed signs to change only once every 15 minutes, or four times an hour. "We had a big discussion about safety, and if the message is on too long drivers can get sucked into the sign waiting for it to change," said Council Member Joe Murphy. "The signs need to deliver a clear message in a timely fashion so drivers are not rubbernecking and looking back." Advertisement � L 0= STE"AKSk OM7 McCEi9I7 Hiniker, vice president of Tousley Motorsports, who uses his sign at 1400 E. County Road E for everything from public service announcements to sales on snowmobiles, motorcycles and watercraft. He thought the old rule was too restrictive and asked the city to amend it. Page 1 of 2 The council struck down an original motion that would have allowed signs to change every three seconds but approved a motion for eight seconds. The city's planning commission had recommended 15 seconds. "We would have liked more, but we came a long way," Hiniker said. "I am satisfied with their cooperation and fair consideration. They [the council] have been a pro-business group and good to work with." Currently, Tousley has the only dynamic signboard in Vadnais Heights, but the city soon will install two electronic signs at a new sports complex being built at Hwy. 61 and County Road E. Signs can contain words, but no video or animation. In making what Mayor Susan Banovetz said was "a good change," the suburb north of St. Paul grappled with the same challenge many i des U5, get FRE E Gifts Print Powered By � .,,...'._. �'.._? D http://www.startribune.com/local/east/100203944.html?elr=KArks:DCiUtEia nDaycUiD... 08/11/2010 One sign of the (electronic) times is in Vadnais Heights I StarTribune.com cities have faced since electronic signs popped up on the landscape a few years ago -- balancing the need for sign owners to get their messages out without becoming a roadside distraction for motorists. In the end, the council decided eight seconds was right because signs that change too infrequently can be just as distracting as those that change too often. That new timing, which will go into effect once language for the ordinance is approved, is in line with a state Department of Transportation study showing roadside images that change at intervals longer than every six seconds aren't a significant distraction. Billboards are changing nationwide, as well. The Outdoor Advertising Association of America said that of an estimated 450,000 billboards nationwide, about 2,000 are digital. That number could grow to 15 percent of the total soon, industry experts say. The Vadnais Heights change, approved by a 5-0 vote, is also a bit more relaxed than in other cities, such as Minnetonka, where dynamic signs can change only every 20 minutes, except for eight billboards operated Arivarficamant by Clear Channel. Those signs can change every eight seconds as a result of an agreement between the billboard company and the city three years ago, said Julie Wischnack, community development director. It's ahead of other places such as Brooklyn Park, which doesn't allow electronic signs, said spokeswoman Mary Tan, In Vadnais Heights, "we were kind of outdated; we are a lot more current now," Murphy said. But as technology advances, "we may have to look at it again." Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768 Page 2 of 2 And improve your credit Score attho s,ame time! Give us a call today!'Pricn slart at $29.W but may %mry by mode -L 4 ow:3 Altj'w& 0% I ts7 7,w 2W utso Print Powered By t ��i t Dnri� http://www.startribune.com/localleast/100203944.htlnl?elr=KArks:DCiUtEia nDaycUiD... 08/11/2010 Michael Cronin 8809 West Bush Lake Rd. Minneapolis, MN 55438 & Associates T 952 941-7487 F 952 941-2645 mcronin§mm ccm March 22, 2010 To: Nancy Anderson City of Hopkins Re: Identification of eligible sites for effective use of an Electronic Message Center The attached materials respond to the Planning Commission's request for information on the sites in the City where effective EMC's would be permitted under the standards of the proposed text amendment. As we agreed when we met last Thursday I have done an initial analysis for you to review and pass on to the Commissioners. The first attachment uses the City of Hopkins Zoning Map from the website to identify the locations of the areas in the City zoned B-3. The following pages provide a more detailed look, including parcel information from the County, at the five areas • and the sites in those areas that would be potentially eligible for effective use of an EMC. The five areas are: I 11th Avenue & Excelsior Blvd. 2 Shady Oak & Main Street 3 Hwy 7 & Hopkins Crossroads 4 Hwy 7 & Blake Road 7 Walser Detailed reviews were not prepared for the other areas in the City zoned B-3 for these reasons: Area 3 south of Hwy 7. The B-3 district is south of Hwy 7 on 17th Avenue. Cty 73 does not extend south of Hwy 7. Area 5. None of these parcels have 370 ft of frontage. The auto repair north of 2nd Street has a combined 337 ft of frontage on Blake Rd and 2nd Street. The Oasis has a combined 224 ft of frontage. The Bakers Square has 206 ft of frontage on Blake Rd. If the redevelopment of the currently vacant Oasis and Baker's Square sites combines these parcels, the redevelopment would have more than 370 ft of frontage. Area 6. Blake Schools has acquired this limited B-3 area (what I recall as a former service station site) and combined it into their parcel. The Blake parcel has more than 370 ft of frontage on Excelsior Blvd. Blake would be eligible to relocate their sign from their entrance to the corner of Blake Rd. and Excelsior Blvd. Area 8. This part of Main Street is not a County or State Highway as required by the amendment. • Area 9. 11th Avenue is not a County or State Highway as required by the amendment. Also, we respectfully request an amendment to our request to reduce the minimum frontage from the initially proposed minimum of 500 ft of frontage to 370 ft. As I was calculating the frontage for the Auto Mall and Wendy's I realized I did not use the correct frontage for the Holiday Stationstore. The reduced minimum of 370 ft rather than 500 ft will allow effective use of an EMC at Holiday and Tuttle's on Shady Oak Rd. Reducing the minimum qualifying frontage further would include the additional properties as noted in the descriptions of the qualifying areas. I am encouraged by the results of the review. There were no surprises at the 370 ft minimum frontage. I think we have been conservative and accomplished our goal of restricting the initial effective EMC's to only the most commercially developed districts and to only the most compatible sites in those areas. Thanks, Mike OVERVIEW The purpose of this study is to examine the statistical relationship between digital billboards and traffic safety in the Greater Reading Area, Berks County, Pennsylvania. This study analyzes traffic and accident data along roads near 20 locations with 26 existing, digital billboard faces (see Figure 1) with traffic volumes on roads collectively representing approximately 233 million vehicles per year. The study uses official data as collected, complied and recorded independently by municipal police departments and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The study includes eight years of accident data representing approximately 35 thousand accidents near twenty locations in Berks County. The billboards were converted to digital format between 2005 and 2009 and afford periods of comparison as long as 8 years (98 months). Temporal (when and how frequently) and spatial (where and how far) statistics are summarized near billboards within multiple vicinity ranges as large as one-half mile for areas that are upstream and downstream of the billboards. Subsets of daytime and nighttime accidents and driver age are analyzed for before and after comparisons. Additionally, an Empirical Bayes Method (EBM) analysis is performed to estimate the number of accidents that could statistically be expected without the introduction of digital signs. This method is the basis of the safety analysis and science -based, predictive models introduced within the 2010 Highway Safely Manual of the American Association of State Highway Official (AASHTO, Reference 14). This report establishes benchmarks for the basis of accident records at pre -digital locations and also uses other comparison sites in Reading. The overall conclusion of the study is that the digital billboards in the Greater Reading Area have no statistically significant relationship with the occurrence of accidents. This study also finds that the age of drivers (younger/elderly) and the time of day (daytime/nighttime) are neutral factors which show no significant increase in accident rates near the digital billboards. The results are consistent for 6, 8 and 10 second dwell times (see Figure 2). These conclusions are based on Police Department data and an objective statistical analysis; the data show no significant increase in accident rates. FINDINGS The Greater Reading Area of Berks County, Pennsylvania, is a unique opportunity for this study about the statistical associations between digital billboards and traffic safety using robust data -sets and analyzing multiple locations for periods of as long as eight years. The overall conclusion is that these digital billboards in Reading have no statistically significant relationship with the occurrence of accidents. This conclusion is based on local Police and PennDOT data and an objective statistical analysis; the data show no statistically significant increase in accident rates_ This study also finds that the dwell time of 6, 8 or 10 seconds, the age of the driver (younger, older) and the time of day (nighttime, daytime) are neutral factors which show no increase in accident rates the near digital billboards along the local roads in the Greater Reading Area. The specific conclusions of this study indicate the following. ® The before and after rates of accidents near the twenty digital billboards show an 12;1% decrease within 0.5 miles of all digital billboards over eight years near twenty locations. Similar decreases and trends in both averages and peaks are observed for both smaller and larger vicinity ranges, and for specific groups of locations by dwell time. • The accident statistics and metrics remain consistent, exhibiting statistically insignificant variations at each of the digital billboards. The metrics include the total number of accidents in any given month, the average number of accidents, the peak number of accidents in any given month, and the number of accident -free months. These conclusions account for variations in traffic -volume and other metrics. . The statistical evaluation of the Empirical Bayes method and actual versus predicted results show that the total number of accidents is approximately equivalent to what would be statistically expected with or without the introduction of digital technology and that the safety near this locations are consistent with the model benchmarked by 77 locations within Berks County. • The overall conclusion of the study is that these digital billboards in the Greater Reading Area have no statistically significant relationship with the occurrence of accidents. This study also finds that the age of drivers (younger/elderly) and the time of day (daytime nighttime) are neutral factors which show no significant increase in accident rates near the digital billboards. The results are consistent for the 6, 8 and 10 second dwell times. These conclusions are based on the collected Police Department data and an objective statistical analysis. City of Hopkins Zoning Map =* Areas of B3 Zoning Districts Pe� Zoning Districts __._...... R -1-A SINGLE AND TWO FAMILY HIGH DENSITY R -1-B SINGLE FAMILY HIGH DENSITY R -1-C SINGLE FAMILY MEDIUM DENSITY R-1-0 SINGLE FAMILY LOW DENSITY R -YE SINGLE FAMILY LOW DENSITY i. R-2 LOW DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY S R-3 MEDIUM DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY R-4 MEDIUM HIGH DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY R-5 HIGH DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY R-6 MEDIUM DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY ...9 B -i LIMITED BUSNIESS B-2 CENTRAL BUSINESS B-3 GENERAL BUSINESS 84 NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS 1-1 INDUSTRIAL 1-2 GENERAL INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PARK „5. INSTITUTIONAL 0 750 1,500 3,000 4,500 6,000 Feet 2 City of Hopkins Zoning Map No*Areas of B3 Zoning Districts With Frontage on a State or County Highway R -1-i7 1 � w — a Rio, y I y RTA 1k "1^ vis a W rt.... i. 1. y t ,,. mm Zoning Districts R -1-A SINGLE AND TV40 FAMILY HIGH DENSITY R -1-B SINGLE FAMILY HIGH DENSITY R -1-C SINGLE FAMILY MEDIUM DENSITY '.I R-1-0 SINGLE FAMILY LOW DENSITY - R -1-E SINGLE FAMILY LOW DENSITY R-2 LOW DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY ii R-3 MEDIUM DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY R-4 MEDIUM HIGH DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY R-5 HIGH DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY R-6 MEDIUM DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY m LIMITED BUSNIESS B-2 CENTRAL BUSINESS 13-3 GENERAL BUSINESS 8-4 NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS -; 1.1 INDUSTRIAL 1-2 GENERAL INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PARK INSTITUTIONAL 0 750 1,500 3,000 4,500 6,000Feet Rq 0 • 0 Roadway Characteristics in Areas of B3 Zoning Districts AREA ROAD NAME CLASS LANESTRAFF'fC SPEED 4 & 5 MN TH 7 Hwy 7 Principal Arterial 4 30,500 45 US 169 Hwy 169 Principal Arterial 4 92,000 55 1 CSAH 3 Excelsior Blvd A -Minor Reliever 4 25,400 40 2 CSAH 61 Shady Oak Rd A -Minor Reliever 2 (4) 11,300 30 4 CSAH 73 Hopkins Cross Road A -Minor Reliever 4 11,200 35 6 & 7 CSAH 20 Blake Rd Major Collector 4 13,650 35 8 Main Street Collector 2 5500 30 9 11th Avenue Major Collector 4-2 9500 30 3 17th Avenue B Minor 2 15,500 30 h.t.0 City of Hopkins ZoningMap mm*Areas of B3 Zoning Districts With Frontage on a State or County Highway and ;JIU ft of total frontage i e � A Zoning Districts R -1-A SINGLE AND TWO FAMILY HIGH DENSITY R -1-B SINGLE. FAMILY HIGH DENSITY R -1-C SINGLE FAMILY MEDIUM DENSITY II R -1-D SINGLE FAMILY LOW DENSITY R -E SINGLE FAMILY LOW DENSITY -I R-2 LOW DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY R-3 MEDIUM DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY R-4 MEDIUM HIGH DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY R-5 HIGH DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY R-6 MEDIUM DENSITY MULTIPLE FAMILY B-1 LIMITED BUSNIESS 8-2 CENTRAL BUSINESS 6.3 GENERAL BUSINESS B-4 NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS INDUSTRIAL 1-2 GENERAL INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PARK INSTITUTIONAL 0 750 1,500 3,000 4,500 6,000 Mai ami IMP �a 17 IP City of Hopkins Zoning Map Areas of B3 Zoning Districts With Frontage on a State or County Highway and 200 ft of total frontage 0 750 1,500 3,000 4,500 6,000 Feet 0 0 B-3 Zoning District Area 1 11th Avenue and Excelsior Blvd. The Holiday Stationstore has a combined 370 ft of frontage on Excelsior Blvd. and l lth Avenue The Auto Mall has 500 ft of frontage on Excelsior Blvd. plus frontage on 91h and 11th Avenues Wendys has 232 ft of frontage on 11th Avenue but is separated from Excelsior Blvd. by an outlot (OutlotA) B-3 Zoning District Area 2 Shady Oak and Main Street Tuttle's at 111 Shady Oak has 390 ft of Frontage on Shady Oak Road The recently renovated 4 Shady Oak Rd has 261 ft of frontage on Shady Oak Rd. The adjacent 2 Shady Oak Rd is a separate parcel with 139 ft of frontage on Shady Oak Rd. If combined they would have more than 370 ft of frontage on Shady Oak Rd. The VFW has 200 ft of frontage on Shady Oak Rd: 0 0 B-3 Zoning District Area 3 Hwy 7 and Hopkins Crossroad 1511 is the address of the Walgreens. This parcel has more than 370 ft of frontage on Hwy 7 and Hopkins Crossoads combined. 1601 is the address of the Caribou in the Crossroads Center. The Center shares the Parking area with the Walgreens. The MGM liquor store at 495 has 183 ft of frontage on Hopkins Crossroads and 149 ft of frontage on 5th Street N for a total of 332 ft of frontage. B-3 Zoning District Area 4 Hwy 7 and Blake Rd The combined White Castle and Walgreens (540 and 8401) parcel has 254 ft of frontage on Hwy 7 and probably 190 ft on Blake Rd. for a total of 445 ft. Including the RLS wedge north of the Walgreens building that appears to be part of the site would provide additional frontage on Hwy 7 and Blake Rd., though this parcel may be in St. Louis Park. The Oasis at 530 Blake Rd has 325 ft of frontage, 108 ft on Blake Rd and 217 ft on Cambridge. The strip mall at 520 has 330 ft of frontage, 90 ft on Blake Rd and 240 ft Cambridge. The BP at 525 Blake Rd has 360 ft of frontage, 140.78 on Blake, 206 on Cambridge and 13.66 on the radius of the corner. No frontage measurement is provided for the billboard parcel, which I believe is in St. Louis Park. 0 0 B-3 Zoning District Area 7 Walser The Walser site has frontage on Hwy 169 and Excelsior Blvd. Walser's building and sign are oriented to Hwy 169 ramps