HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-05-13 North Seventh Urban Renewal Board Minutes
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APPROVED minutes from December 5, 2013 board meeting
Voted on and approved during January 9, 2014 meeting
held at the Stiff Building, upper conference room
TO DO List: Everyone attend January 9 board meeting
Attendance: Scott Hedglin, Carl Solvie, Andrew Cetraro, Jeff Krauss, Wendy Thomas,
Allyson Brekke
Call to Order – Carl called to order at 4:40pm.
Public Comment – none.
Meeting Minutes
Open and continued.
Lighting project update
Questions about whether we’ll have enough money for Phase 2 lighting construction.
Questions continued including what are we paying Morrison-Maierle for engineering work
(survey work). Allyson estimated $50-$60K.
Allyson will follow up with Dustin about whether we know how much Phase 2 will cost,
and she will also check with Brian LaMeres if we have the money to do it.
N7Rehab applications and presentations
None submitted.
Update on requested sign code change
Allyson went over definition of “change in copy”. Scott asked if we could somehow allow for
some types of change in copy, certain square footage considerations, etc. Bill asked about
the idea of a blighted area being allowed to change copy without the need of conformance.
Board not trying to promoted change in copy of non-conforming signs but trying to help
business owners. Idea of a public access easement would allow a change of copy.
Discussion. Request (see Attachment A) to be submitted for December 16 City Commission
meeting.
Recruiting board members to fill vacant positions
Ask business owners to serve. Maybe recruit a past or current member of downtown TIF
district board.
FYI
Everyone in agreement to move January meeting to January 9 due to holidays.
Adjournment
Carl adjourned the meeting at 5:34pm.
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Attachment A
December 16, 2013
Bozeman City Commission
PO Box 1230
Bozeman, MT 59771
Dear Bozeman City Commissioners:
The North 7th Urban Renewal Board would like to thank Planning Staff for moving so swiftly
on the sign code changes that were requested by the Board. However, the Board is
disappointed to see one of their three original changes requested isn’t being recommended
to the Commission for adoption. This specific change is the ability for a property
owner/business owner to change copy of a sign without the requirement of bringing the sign
into full code compliance.
The Board believes this change in sign code will be instrumental in the Board’s ability to
obtain needed public right-of-way to complete the street light improvement project along the
North 7th Avenue corridor. While the Board understands the desire of Planning Staff and
Commission to eventually eliminate the non-conforming signs within the Bozeman
community, the Board believes there are still several mechanisms remaining in the code that
would require the updating of nonconforming signs (such as site plan and conditional use
permit applications). The Board sees no harm in allowing a business to update their logo, the
most typical change in copy, without the need of eliminating the non-conforming status of a
sign.
The Board respectfully requests the City Commission to include in the proposed sign code
changes the ability for a property owner/business owner to change sign copy to an existing,
non-conforming sign without the need to bring the sign into compliance. At a minimum, the
Board strongly recommends the City Commission add a definition of “copy” into the current
zoning standards so there is no confusion for property and business owners how sign copy is
truly defined.
Sincerely,
Members of the N. 7th Urban Renewal Board
Carl Solvie, Vice-Chair
Susan Fraser, Recording Secretary
Andrew Cetraro
Scott Hedglin
Bill Fogarty
Kevin Cook