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<br />~ <br />/]'\~ HILLS <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />July 9,2007 <br /> <br />CC Agenda Item 2.A <br /> <br />TO: Mayor & City Council <br /> <br /> <br />FROM: James Lehnhoff, City Planner/ <br /> <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Clear Channel Electronic Billboard <br /> <br />Request <br /> <br />No action is required at this time. This is an infonnational work session only. <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />In December 2006, Clear Channel replaced the face of the west facing billboard on the <br />westernmost billboard in the northeastern comer of the Interstate 35W and 694 intersection. The <br />new billboard face is a full-color, electronic message board that can change images on command. <br />The images currently change every eight seconds. Clear Channel did obtain the required <br />electrical pern1it; however, a sign pennit for the alteration was not submitted. The City did not <br />have any reason to deny the electrical pennit at that time. The electronic sign does not display <br />any animation or emit any noise. <br /> <br />]n early January 2007, the City sent a letter to Clear Channel inforn1ing them that the electronic <br />message board sign was not permitted by the Arden Hills Sign Code. On January 24,2007, the <br />City issued a sign code violation letter to Clear Channel and requested that they submit a <br />completed sign permit application. A sign permit application was not submitted, and the City <br />issued a citation, which is still pending. <br /> <br />Clear Channel submitted their sign pern1it application on May 2], 2007 (Attachment 2A-2). The <br />City's Sign Code requires the City Planner to approve or deny a sign pern1it within 30 days of <br />receiving the application or the application is automatically approved. <br /> <br />City Staff and the City Attorney met with Clear Channel on June 7, 2007, to discuss the status of <br />the submitted sign pennit. Due to the controversial nature of the electronic billboard sign and <br />due to the interpretation by City Staff that the electronic billboard is not pennitted by the Sign <br />Code, the City Planner issued a denial to Clear Channel on June 18, 2007 (Attachment 2A-3). <br />The denial was needed to keep the process moving forward and to allow the City Council and <br />Planning Commission the ability to review the case. Clear Channel submitted their official <br />appeal of the City Planner's denial on July 2,2007 (Attachment 2A-4). <br />\\i\-fcfro-inel.us\ardenhills\PlallllinglCily CO/mei! Memos\2007\C1ear Channel Electronic Billboard1070907 - CC Report- Clear Channel <br />Electronic Billboard.doc <br /> <br />Page 1 of3 <br />