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_________________________________________________________________________________________ City of Arden Hills Planning Commission Meeting for February 7, 2018 P:\Planning\Planning Cases\2017\PC 17-004 - Sign Code Amendment\Memos_Reports_17-004 Page 6 of 8 At the Planning Commission meeting on February 8, 2017, commissioners expressed an interest in allowing for certain types of dynamic display signs if standards were put in place to ensure quality and to reduce distraction to drivers. Staff reviewed standards adopted by Roseville, New Brighton, Shoreview, and Mounds View for dynamic display signs and has summarized the main types of standards below. Based on Planning Commission feedback on this item, additional work would need to be completed on possible standards for dynamic display signs. Duration and Transition The City can regulate how long a sign image is displayed for before there is a transition to another image. This would ensure that video or a rapid sequence of images were not used that could cause distraction. Roseville requires a minimum duration of 25 seconds and the three other communities require a minimum of 8 seconds. The transition between images could be required to be instantaneous. Transitions that include fading, dissolving, scrolling, traveling, or any other illusion of movement could be prohibited. Brightness To reduce the visual impact of dynamic display signs at night, the City could consider setting maximum brightness levels. The unit for measuring the brightness of the face of a sign is a nit (candelas per square meter). Roseville has adopted a maximum illumination of 5,000 nits during daylight hours and 500 nits between dusk and dawn as measured from the sign’s face at maximum brightness. Roseville also requires that dynamic display signs include a dimmer control that automatically reduces the illumination level of the sign between one half-hour before sunset and one half-hour after sunrise. Sign Content The Sign Code currently prohibits outdoor advertising signs, which are signs that advertise a product, business, service, event, or any other matter that is not available or does not take place on the same premises as the sign. If dynamic display signs were permitted, the messages displayed would be required to be for products and services offered on the property. An exception could be time and temperature display signs. Size The area of a dynamic display sign would be included in the maximum sign area permitted for the sign type. The City could place limits on how much of a sign area could be comprised of dynamic display. For example, in certain districts Shoreview limits the area that can be a dynamic display to 50 percent of the total sign area or 50 square feet whichever is less. Location The City could limit dynamic display signs to non-residential sign districts. Additionally, location, orientation, and hours of display regulations could be put in place to impact the impact of these signs on adjacent residential uses.