Otsego City Zoning Code

CHAPTER 37

SIGNS

11-37-1: FINDINGS, PURPOSE AND EFFECT:

A. Findings: The City Council hereby finds as follows:

1. Exterior signs have a substantial impact on the character and quality of the environment.

2. Signs provide an important medium through which individuals may convey a variety of messages.

3. Signs can create traffic hazards, aesthetic concerns and detriments to property values, thereby threatening the public health, safety and welfare.

4. This Code has included the regulation of signs in an effort to provide adequate means of expression and to promote the economic viability of the business community, while protecting the City and its citizens from a proliferation of signs of a type, size, location and character that would adversely impact the aesthetics of the community and threaten the health, safety and welfare of the community. The regulation of physical characteristics of signs within the City has had a positive impact on traffic safety and the overall appearance of the community.

B. Purpose And Intent: It is not the purpose or intent of this chapter to regulate the message displayed on any sign; nor is it the purpose or intent of this chapter to regulate any building design or any display not defined as a sign, or any sign which cannot be viewed from outside a building. The purpose and intent of this chapter is to:

1. Regulate the number, location, size, type, illumination and other physical characteristics of signs within the City in order to promote the public health, safety, and welfare.

2. Maintain, enhance and improve the aesthetic environment of the City by preventing visual clutter that is harmful to the appearance of the community.

3. Improve the visual appearance of the City, while providing for effective means of communication, consistent with constitutional guarantees and the City’s goals of public safety and aesthetics.

4. Provide for fair and consistent enforcement of the sign regulations set forth herein under the zoning authority of the City.

C. Effect: A sign may be erected, mounted, displayed or maintained in the City if it is in conformance with the provisions of this chapter. The effect of this chapter, as more specifically set forth herein, is to:

1. Allow a wide variety of sign types in commercial zones and a more limited variety of signs in other zones, subject to the standards set forth in this chapter.

2. Allow certain small, unobtrusive signs incidental to the principal use of a site in all zoning districts, subject to the standards set forth in this chapter.

3. Prohibit signs whose location, size, type, illumination or other physical characteristics negatively affect the environment and where the communication can be accomplished by means having a lesser impact on the environment and the public health, safety and welfare.

4. Provide for the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 2026-07, 5-26-2026)

11-37-2:

A. No sign shall be erected or existing sign structure expanded without first securing an administrative permit in accordance with Chapter 8 of this title from the City, except when changing only the copy of the sign without altering the area, height or location of the sign as provided for by section 11-37-2.C of this chapter or as allowed by Section 11-37-4 of this chapter.

B. Application for a permit shall include the following additional information unless waived by the Zoning Administrator:

1. Type, area, and height of sign (e.g., wall or freestanding sign).

2. A site plan to scale showing the location of lot lines, easements, structures, buildings, parking areas, existing and proposed freestanding signs, and any other physical features.

3. Plans, location, and specifications and method of construction and attachment to the buildings for existing and proposed wall signs.

4. Copy of stress sheets and calculations showing that the structure is designed for dead load and wind pressure in any direction in the amount required by this and all other laws and ordinances of the City.

5. Any electrical permit required and issued for the sign.

6. A detailed description of any electronic or electrical components that are proposed to be added to the sign.

7. Other information to demonstrate compliance with this and all other ordinances of the City.

C. The owner of any sign that is otherwise allowed by this chapter may substitute noncommercial copy in lieu of any other commercial or noncommercial copy. This substitution of copy may be made without any additional approval or permitting. The purpose of this provision is to prevent any inadvertent favoring of commercial speech over noncommercial speech, or favoring of any particular noncommercial message over any other noncommercial message. This provision prevails over any more specific provision to the contrary. (Ord. 2026-07, 5-26-2026)

11-37-3: GENERAL PROVISIONS:

The construction and placement of all signs shall be subject to the following provisions:

A. Accessory Structures. All signs shall be accessory structures.

B. Right-of-Way. No signs, other than those of governmental jurisdictions, shall be permitted within public rights-of-way or roadway easements.

C. Minimum Setback:

1. No sign or sign structure, unless otherwise regulated by this chapter, shall be closer to any lot line than ten feet (10').

2. No sign shall be located within the visibility triangle required by section 11-16-4 of this title

D. Easements. No sign shall be placed within any drainage or utility easement.

E. Natural Features. No signs, guys, stays or attachments shall be erected, placed or maintained on rocks, fences, or trees, nor interfere with any electric light, power, telephone or telegraph wires or the supports thereof, with the exception of signs necessary for security, or to preserve public safety, as determined by the City Council.

F. Obstructions. No sign shall be permitted to obstruct any window, door, fire escape, stairway or opening intended to provide light, air, ingress or egress of any building or structure.

G. Approval Required:

1. No sign shall be attached or be allowed to hang from any building until all necessary wall and roof attachments have been approved by the Building Official.

2. The installation of electrical signs shall be subject to the State Electrical Code and all electrical service to such sign shall be underground.

H. Area Calculation:

1. The area within the frame of a sign shall be used to calculate the square footage except that the width of a frame exceeding twelve inches (12") shall constitute sign face, and if such letters or graphics be mounted directly on a wall or fascia or in such way as to be without a frame the dimensions for calculating the square footage shall be the area in a plane figure bounded by straight lines connecting the outermost points thereof. Each surface utilized to display a message or to attract attention shall be measured as a separate sign and shall be calculated in the overall square footage.

2. A freestanding sign or sign structure constructed so that the faces are not back to back, shall not have an angle separating the faces exceeding twenty degrees (20°) unless the total area of both sides added together does not exceed the maximum allowable sign area for that district.

I. Height:

1. The top of a wall sign, including its structure, if any, shall be no higher than the roof of the building to which such sign may be attached.

2. Freestanding Signs:

a. The height of the sign shall be measured from the ground at the base to the highest-most part of the structure.

b. Within commercial, industrial, or institutional districts, properties with an elevation below that of the centerline of the adjacent street, measured at the closest distance between the sign location and centerline of the street, the height of a freestanding sign may increase to be not more than the allowed height of a freestanding sign within the applicable district above the centerline elevation of the street with a total height not to exceed more than ten feet (10') above the maximum height of the applicable district.

J. Materials: All exterior mounted signs shall be constructed of high quality materials, durable and resistant to fading, cracking, chipping, peeling, or other forms of extreme wear; signs shall not be applied with paint directly onto the exterior surface of a building.

K. Illumination:

1. Illuminated signs shall comply with section 11-16-6 of this title and shall be shielded to prevent lights from being directed onto residential property, or at oncoming traffic in such brilliance that it impairs the vision of the driver. Nor shall such signs interfere with or obscure an official traffic sign or signal. This includes indoor signs which are visible from public streets and highways.

2. No sign may be illuminated in any way so as to exceed a maximum intensity of five thousand (5,000) nits during daylight hours or five hundred (500) nits from sunset to sunrise measured at the sign face at maximum brightness.

3. Signs using fluorescent, neon or incandescent light sources shall not exceed twelve (12) watts per square foot of sign surface area.

4. All signs installed after October 22, 2012, shall be equipped with a mechanism that automatically adjusts the brightness to ambient lighting conditions to conform to the requirements of this chapter.

5. The owner of any illuminated sign shall provide certification as to compliance with this section to the City upon request by the Zoning Administrator.

L. Projecting Signs. Projecting signs may be allowed in commercial districts provided that:

1. The sign shall not project more than five feet (5') beyond the wall to which it is mounted, may not project over any vehicular drive aisle or traveled portion of a public or private street and project over a public right- of-way.

2. There shall be a minimum of eight feet (8') of clearance under the base of the sign to the ground below.

3. The area of the projecting sign shall not exceed twenty four (24) square feet.

M. Freeway Sign Corridor. The boundaries of a freeway sign corridor for uses within business, mixed use, and industrial districts regulated by sections 11-37-7 and 11-37-8 of this chapter shall be defined as follows:

1. I-94 Corridor. Those properties, or portions thereof, located within two thousand six hundred forty feet (2,640') of the I-94 right-of- way.

2. TH 101 Corridor. Those properties, or portions thereof, meeting at least one (1) of the following criteria:

a. Located within six hundred sixty feet (660') of the right-of-way for TH 101, between the rights-of-way of Quaday Avenue and TH 101, or between the rights-of-way of Queens Avenue and TH 101, whichever is most restrictive.

b. Those properties abutting the east right-of-way line of Queens Avenue between 53rd Street (CSAH 36) and 70th Street (CSAH 37).

c. Those properties developed with convenience food, hotel, motor fuel and restaurant uses located between the rights-of-way of Parrish Avenue (CSAH 42), River Road (CSAH 42), and Quaday Avenue west of TH 101, or located between the rights-of-way of River Road (CSAH 42) and Queens Avenue east of TH 101. (Ord. 2026-07, 5-26-2026)

11-37-4:

The following signs may be installed and displayed upon a property without issuance of a sign permit in addition to the signs allowed by zoning district in accordance with this chapter:

A. General Signs. One (1) sign not to exceed sixteen (16) square feet and a height of eight feet (8').

B. Address Signs. One (1) wall sign upon an elevation of the building facing the street from which the property is addressed as required by Title 9, Chapter 8 of this code.

C. Election Period Signs. All noncommercial signs of any area or in any number may be displayed from August 1 until ten (10) days following the Tuesday after the first Monday of November of each year.

D. Window Signs. Window signs shall be allowed subject to the sign area allowances of the respective zoning districts; sign(s) shall not exceed twenty five percent (25%) of the total area of the window in which they are displayed.

E. Public Signs. Any signs in the public interest erected by, or on the order of public jurisdictions in the performance of their public duty, such as directional signs, regulatory signs, warning signs, informational signs, whether or not such signs are in the public rights-of- way.

F. Utilities. All warning signs posted by public utilities including, but not limited to, electric, natural gas, telephone, cable, or fiber.

G. Real Estate. The following signs may be displayed when a single property is being offered for sale or lease:

1. Residential Districts. One (1) freestanding sign not to exceed twelve (12) square feet in area and a height of six feet (6') shall be allowed in each yard abutting a public right-of-way.

2. Other Districts. Two (2) signs not to exceed thirty two (32) square feet in area, erected up to a height of eight feet (8') when freestanding, for each yard abutting a public street.

H. Land Development. The following signs shall be allowed temporarily upon approval of a preliminary plat for a subdivision having not less than three (3) lots or approval of site and building plans, a conditional use permit, or an interim use permit for development of one (1) commercial, industrial, or institutional use provided that:

1. One (1) sign shall be allowed per project or subdivision or one (1) sign for each frontage to a collector or arterial street, whichever is greater.

2. The sign area not exceed sixty four (64) square feet.

3. The height of the sign shall not exceed eight feet (8') if free standing.

4. The following additional signs shall be allowed to be displayed on residential properties used as model homes as provided for by Chapter 20 of this title:

a. One (1) freestanding sign shall be allowed.

b. The sign area shall not to exceed thirty two (32) square feet.

c. The height of the sign shall not exceed eight feet (8').

d. Not more than three (3) flags with a maximum area of sixteen (16) square feet per face per flag and maximum height of twenty four feet (24') shall be allowed upon lots within the subdivision.

5. The signs allowed by this section 11-37-4.H shall only be displayed for the following duration, unless extended by the Zoning Administrator:

a. Subdivisions. A period not to exceed three (3) years from the date of approval of the most recent final plat of a preliminary plat or until a building permit has been issued for one hundred percent (100%) of the lots within a final plat or subsequent phases of the same preliminary plat of a subdivision, whichever occurs first.

b. Commercial, Industrial, or Institutional Uses. A period not to exceed two (2) years from the date of approval required by this title or until a certificate of occupancy has been issued for the principal building for the use, whichever occurs first. (Ord. 2026-07, 5-26-2026)

11-37-5:

In addition to the signs allowed by section 11-37-4 of this chapter, the following signs are allowed within agriculture zoning districts established by chapter 50 of this title:

A. One (1) wall or freestanding sign is allowed, provided, that:

1. The sign area shall not exceed sixty four (64) square feet.

2. The maximum height of a freestanding sign shall not exceed eight feet (8').

B. Forestry, nursery, greenhouse, tree farm, and farm winery uses shall be allowed the following signs:

1. Wall Signs:

a. One (1) wall sign is allowed.

b. The sign area shall not exceed one hundred (100) square feet.

2. Freestanding Signs:

a. One (1) freestanding sign is allowed.

b. The sign area shall not exceed one hundred (100) square feet, except that within the freeway sign corridor established by section 11-37-3.M of this chapter the sign area shall not exceed two hundred (200) square feet.

c. The height of the sign shall not exceed twenty feet (20'), except that within the freeway sign corridor established by section 11-37-3.M of this chapter, the height of the sign shall not exceed fifty feet (50').

3. One (1) additional sign shall be allowed in addition to the signs allowed by sections 11-37-5.A and 11-37-5.B of this section, subject to the following provisions:

a. The sign area shall not exceed thirty two (32) square feet.

b. The height of the sign shall not exceed eight feet (8') if freestanding.

c. The sign shall be displayed for not more than thirty (30) days within one (1) calendar year, except by interim use permit.

C. Subdivisions. One (1) freestanding sign shall be allowed at each intersection of a collector or arterial street for a subdivision having three (3) or more lots or a lot having three (3) or more principal buildings, provided that:

1. The sign area shall not exceed thirty two (32) square feet.

2. The height of the sign shall not exceed eight feet (8'). (Ord. 2026-07, 5-26-2026)

11-37-6:

In addition to the signs allowed by section 11-37-4 of this chapter, the following signs are allowed within residential zoning districts established by Chapter 50 of this title:

A. Properties With Multiple Family Dwellings:

1. Wall Signs:

a. Wall signs may be located on any elevation of a principal building except that facing a side or rear lot line abutting a residential district.

b. The total area of wall signs displayed on a single building elevation shall not exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the area of said building elevation.

c. The area of an individual sign shall not exceed one hundred (100) square feet.

2. Freestanding Signs:

a. One (1) freestanding sign shall be allowed.

b. The sign area shall not exceed sixty four (64) square feet.

c. The height of the sign shall not exceed fifteen feet (15').

B. Home Occupations. A property with a home occupation as allowed by chapter 28 of this chapter shall be allowed one (2) sign, subject to the following:

1. The sign area shall not exceed four (4) square feet.

2. The height of the sign shall not exceed six feet (6') if free standing.

1. The sign area shall not exceed thirty two (32) square feet.

2. The height of the sign shall not exceed eight feet (8'). (Ord. 2026-07, 5-26-2026)

11-37-7:

In addition to the signs allowed by section 11-37-4 of this chapter, the following signs are allowed within business and mixed use zoning districts established by Chapter 50 of this title:

A. Wall Signs:

1. Wall signs may be located on any elevation of a principal building except that facing a side or rear lot line abutting a residential district.

2. The total area of wall signs displayed on a single building elevation shall not exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the area of said building elevation.

3. The area of an individual sign shall not exceed one hundred (100) square feet; within the freeway sign corridor established by section 11-37-3.M of this chapter or buildings with a floor area larger than one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet the sign area shall not exceed two hundred (200) square feet.

B. Freestanding Signs:

1. One (1) freestanding sign shall be allowed per property, except as may be allowed by this chapter.

2. The sign area shall not exceed one hundred (100) square feet; within the freeway sign corridor established by section 11-37-3.M of this chapter the sign area shall not exceed two hundred (200) square feet.

3. The height of the sign shall not exceed twenty feet (20'); within the freeway sign corridor established by section 11-37-3.M of this chapter the height of the sign shall not exceed fifty feet (50').

C. Abutting Collector/Arterial Streets. One (1) additional freestanding sign shall be allowed for properties abutting an arterial or collector street, but to which there is no driveway access, subject to the following:

1. The sign shall be located in a yard abutting the street to which the lot has access.

2. The sign area shall not exceed sixty four (64) square feet.

3. The height of the sign shall not exceed fifteen feet (15').

D. Abutting Properties. Separate commercial uses on abutting properties with a common lot line may locate one (1) shared freestanding sign in lieu of the individual freestanding signs allowed by section 11-37-7.B of this chapter, provided that:

1. One (1) freestanding sign shall be allowed, except as may be allowed by this chapter.

2. The sign area shall not exceed two hundred (200) square feet; within the freeway corridor district the sign area shall not exceed two hundred (400) square feet.

3. The height of the sign shall not exceed thirty feet (30'); within the freeway corridor district, the height of the sign shall not exceed sixty feet (60').

4. An agreement addressing construction, maintenance, and repair responsibilities and access rights is established and filed with the Wright County Recorder against the titles of the two (2) properties involved in the collocated freestanding sign prior to issuance of a sign permit. Amendment or cancellation of the agreement shall be allowed only upon written approval by the Zoning Administrator.

E. Motor Fuel Facilities: Signs for motor fuel facilities shall allowed the following additional signs:

1. Within a freestanding sign, an additional area not to exceed twenty four (24) square feet shall be allowed for continuous display (no flashing, scrolling, or other animation) of electronic or nonelectronic changeable copy identifying current fuel prices in accordance with Minnesota state statutes section 239.751.

2. Canopy. One (1) wall sign not to exceed four eight (48) square feet shall be allowed on canopy elevations not facing a residential district.

F. Subdivisions. One (1) freestanding sign shall be allowed at each intersection of a collector or arterial street for a subdivision having three (3) or more lots or a lot having three (3) or more principal buildings, provided that:

1. The sign area shall not exceed two hundred (200) square feet.

2. The height of the sign shall not exceed fifteen feet (15').

3. An association or other form of deed restriction and ownership deemed acceptable by the City Attorney involving all the properties within the designated area assigning responsibility for perpetual maintenance and all costs associated with the sign(s) shall be required and recorded with each property.

G. Temporary Signs. One (1) sign shall be allowed upon a property on a temporary basis subject to the following provisions:

1. The sign area shall not exceed thirty two (32) square feet.

2. The sign height shall not exceed eight feet (8') if freestanding.

3. The sign shall be displayed for not more than thirty (30) days within one (1) calendar year, except by interim use permit. (Ord. 2026-07, 5-26-2026)

11-37-8:

In addition to the signs allowed by section 11-37-4 of this chapter, the following signs are allowed within industrial zoning districts established by Chapter 50 of this title:

A. Wall Signs:

1. Wall signs may be located on any elevation of a principal building except that facing a side or rear lot line abutting a residential district.

2. The total area of wall signs displayed on a single building elevation shall not exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the area of said building elevation.

3. The area of an individual sign shall not exceed one hundred (100) square feet; within the freeway sign corridor established by section 11-37-3.M of this chapter the sign area shall not exceed two hundred (200) square feet.