Fiscal Note
There may be a minor increase in General Fund revenues derived from sign application fees.
Title
Amending Secs. 31.14(2)(b)5. and creating Sec. 31.043(3)(i) to allow the Urban Design Commission to approve Electronic Changeable Message sign at high schools located in residential, agricultural and conservancy districts, and amending Sec. 31.041(3)(d) of the Madison General Ordinances to clarify that "Additional Sign Code Approvals" by the UDC are subject to a $300 application fee.
Body
DRAFTER'S ANALYSIS: Under the current sign code, electronic changeable message signs are only permitted in commercial, office, manufacturing districts and non-residential uses in Districts of Special Control. They are prohibited in residential, conservancy and agricultural districts regardless of the use. This ordinance amendment would allow public and private high schools located in residential, conservancy and agricultural districts to incorporate an electronic message feature on an identification sign, if approved by the Urban Design Commission. The current ordinance allows identification signs for these uses, subject to size and setback requirements, which would not change. The high school would apply to the UDC for permission for an electronic message feature under the "Additional Sign Code Approvals" process, which requires an application fee of $300 and a hearing before the UDC.
*********************************************************************************
The Common Council of the City of Madison do hereby ordain as follows:
1. Paragraph 5. entitled "Church, Hospital, School and PRD Identification Street Signs" of Subdivision (b) entitled "R1 District" of Subsection (2) entitled "Signs in All Residential and OR Office Residence Districts - Applicability" of Section 31.14 entitled "Regulation of Signs in Agricultural, Conservancy, and Residential Districts" of the Madison General Ordinances is amended to read as follows:
"5. Church, Hospital, School and PRD Identification Street Planned Residential Development-Dwelling Signs.
a. Identification Signs for Churches, Hospitals, Schools and Planned Residential Developments-Dwelling.
1. Area and Number. One (1) wall and one (1) ground signs per street frontage may be displayed; identifying the entity, with a maximum of two ground (2) signs and two (2) wall signs per zoning lot. Additional wall or ground signs for wayfinding purposes may be permitted when approved by the Urban Design Commission when the zoning lot is occupied by two (2) or more of the uses described above and the size of the lot, number of vehicular and pedestrian entrances, and layout of the buildings require additional signs for wayfinding purposes in order to promote traffic and pedestrian safety. Signs under this paragraph, whether displayed on a wall or the ground, shall not exceed twelve (12) square feet in net area nor be closer than ten (10) feet to any lot line, except such signs may be increased in net area by one (1) square foot for each additional foot that the sign set back more than twelve (12) feet from the street lot line. No sign under this section shall exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in net area.
b2. Height. No identification sign shall project higher than one story, or twelve (12) feet above the curb level, whichever is lower.
b. Electronic Changeable Copy Sign for High Schools. A high school may include an Electronic Changeable Copy feature meeting the criteria of Sec. 31.046(1) on an identification sign allowed under Sec. 31.14(2)(b)5.a. above, if approved by the Urban Design Commission as an Additional Sign Code approval under Sec. 31.043(3). For purposes of this paragraph, a "high school" is a public or private high school as defined in Wis. Stat. §§ 115.01(1) and 115.001(3r), but does not include a junior high school as defined in Wis. Stat. §115.01(2). If a high school is on a zoning lot that includes another use, including another school, the sign shall be located and designed in such a way that it is clearly for the use of the high school only."
2. Subdivision (i) of Subsection (3) entitled "Additional Sign Code Approvals" of Section 31.043 entitled "Urban Design Commission and Comprehensive Design Review" of the Madison General Ordinances is created to read as follows:
"(i) Approve an Electronic Changeable Copy feature, meeting the criteria of Sec. 31.046(1), on an identification sign for a high school, as authorized under Sec. 31.14(2)(b)5.b."
3. Subdivision (d) entitled "Urban Design Commission Fees" of Subsection (3) entitled "Permit and Application Fees" of Section 31.041 entitled "Sign Permits and Fees" of the Madison General Ordinances is amended to read as follows:
"(d) Urban Design Commission Fees. The fee for all applications to the Urban Design Commission under this ordinance, including appeals from the decisions of the Zoning Administrator, requests for approvals in height, area, and setback, and Comprehensive Design Review, and Additional Sign Code Approvals, shall be three-hundred dollars ($300) payable to the City Treasurer."