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<br />. Jerome Filla
<br />August 15,2007
<br />Page 2 .
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<br />of the sign has nprel~tionsi)ip toitsl1()I1ROnformity.Th~ nonconformity is the
<br />existence of the billboard, not its weight. . '
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<br />. The s~gnordimlIlCel1owhere reference~<or regulates weight... The ordinance
<br />specificallyst~tystb,at.the purpose o~tl1e.sign code is.to .regulaly1:)1e.locatiol1,size,
<br />. type, .andillumil1~tionof signs; it 4qes not. discuss weight. It 40esde~le heiiYlt( ~ .
<br />1210.01, Subd.3;),llghting (~1210.01.;Subds.4C8); andsignarea(S 1210.01, Subd.
<br />12) but 4oesn()1 dyfil1e weight. Thein~ertion of~ cpnditi()ntodenyapel1l1it that is
<br />nowhere found in the ordin.ance.s is per se arbitraryandcapriciolls.
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<br />In ~nlynding Minn' Stat.~462,357(1 lee), the Lygislature ~cknowledged thatthe OWl1yT()f a..... .
<br />1.10. n. co.nform... in,g use. niu. st be.. .a. ble to. replace or.impr. o.ve .th.e. us. e tok. eep. upw.ith......chan. g.es in. t.h eir.
<br />particular.industry, tocontinue totedl11qlogically illoderpizetheir facilities,an4 tOlllair;Itmn the
<br />nonc01llorinityto adegree'-Yhichwillena\>le the owner tofinaJlce thy nol1conforming use. ....For
<br />eX!Jl!lple,. the .owner. of anoncpl1fpnningallto Aeaiershiplllustbe abletor~place()rilIjprove thy
<br />pmntboothportion of the. busil1esswithnew teclmqlo~y so that the dealershipclln colllPly with
<br />franchise. requirements . andfpntiIllle to colllpete in the marketpl~ce... The.new. paint booth
<br />equipmellt)J.1.aybe hyavier, or ligllter,thatltheequipmentpr fixtures replaced..The weight or
<br />u... till.!y o. ft.h.e. ..repl. a.cement 0..1.. impro.. v. ..e. men.t.isn. ot the.is. s. ue...T. l.le ri. !5htgr.aJ.. ite....d to the. owne..r. of. a
<br />legaln()IlCOnforITIingllse undyr t~~ stat~teisthatthe ()'.Vll~r lIja.y r~pl~ce~nd/or. inIproye.. This is
<br />.. thelegal. standard to be appliedllnd, Ul11erthe statute, it lllaynot be abrogated bY.arbitrary action
<br />of all1pnicipality. . . .. . . .... . .
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<br />. The sec()n4basis for denial-,-ej(tymallighting .-. is induded in the Iwtifipation of the dec:ision, but
<br />in reality did not ~eelIl to bypartofthyPlanning Commission's decision. At the hearing there
<br />was Ilnacknqwledgemeut th~tthe.1ightingofthy sign did llot fitwitl1in th~ prohibitiolls. of the
<br />.or..d.i.n.an..... ce,an... dal.. so.a. re.cogm.'t.i.o.n..th. at. thi. '.s. are.~ w. aspre.-e.m pte. d by s.ta. te. statute... S.. eeM. .inn..... Stat.
<br />!l173.16, Subcl. }.1,. ITI\1nicipalityl!la)'e;1forceits ownsignregnlations within busine~stlTeas
<br />adjac~ntto interstatean4trunkhigl:1waysin liell..of the statewide rul.esif it i-eceivesState
<br />apprpval forthis. . In this case, hoWevyr ,the. City neithersoughtnpTrecei"edpyrmission to
<br />. enforce. * ownsigllregtllati?ns with respect to .advmis)l1g4evi?esloc~tediqsuch.areas. The
<br />state standllrds.arell:1lls.coqtl:olling. al14 CleljI ChailAe)'s.biUtlOard.cprl!plies withthesestalldar4s.
<br />I. n ad.. d..i.tl...o.n.........to.. al.l...o...f..t.l.l..e.. abo. ve. ' th..e P....lanru..... ....n.. g... C.. o. =......i.ssi.o..n. w... a.s. .con.. cer.ne. d..abou. t th.e..n.. a.ctt...ha... (the
<br />city had isslledpefll1it~fo]' LEI) signs ~oon-prell1ise businesses. This will, of course,be
<br />in"e.sti.' gated in much more detail if this matter proceeds.. .
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<br />FinallY, theapplicaliOll of ()r~ill,aJlce Se~.mO. n Sllbd.6.G.3 ~isfraught \Vith illegality in this
<br />ins!aJlce.ClYar ChaiIDyl' sapplkationseyks wittYllapproval of an irnPI'pvelllent to its
<br />npnconforming use'andthis.is expressly permitted ley state statute. See Minn. Stat.~
<br />46V57(1)(e).Anyden.ial or withholding pfwrittell,perrnissionb~ the City of Arden Hills is in
<br />direct violation of this statute, and is arbitniryaridcapriciclUs. . In addition, this section of the
<br />ordinance directly contravenes the dictates of Minn. Stat. !l117.184,
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