Minneapolis ordinances

[NervousRex]

Any Minneapolitans know if there is a city ordinance regarding the size of yard signs in a residential zone? There is a jag-off on the corner 35th and Johnson St. NE with a 4'x8' BC sign...I'd love to bust him and have it taken down....his regular sized BC sign is painful enough to look at.

[shoelace414]

1. I don't know about MN law but there is a federal law about it

since it's a political sign.

[Deja Q]

2. I'd been told that

the state (MN) had employees remove signs too close to the road. However, only K/E signs were removed; illegally placed BC signs stayed. (relayed to me by a friend who'd seen ch 5 nightly news several days ago)

[Worst Username Ever]

3. I have seen 4 x 8 KE signs in MPLS,

I have to assume there is no ordinance about it... you can call the police dept though.

[mac56]

4. From City Pages a while back

http://www.citypages.com/databank/22/1083/article9797.asp

The Minneapolis Code of Ordinances lays out the rules, and (city inspector Steve) Poor provides each campaign with a handbook detailing the restrictions. "No political sign shall be closer than eight (8) feet from any other zoning lot. No political sign shall be placed on the public right-of-way, including boulevard trees and utility poles," the ordinance states. In residential areas, signs may be no larger than eight square feet and no taller than six feet. Only one sign per race is allowed per street frontage, though a property that occupies a corner lot may have two signs, one facing each street.

[NervousRex]

6. Thank you!!!

This guy is busted..per the Ordinance; His sign is too big, and it is mounted on his fence bordering the neighboring property. Now...who do I call?

edit: I just read the article, and it sounds like the city inspector will do nothing....may have to take matters into my own hands.

[metaldog]

7. yard signs and whatnot.

A couple of years ago, during the run-up to the Iraqi distraction, a friend of mine caught a couple of (MPLS) city workers taking anti-war signs down from people's lawns and throwing them in their truck. This friend made several calls to city officials with wildly unsatisfactory results.

So if that's any indication, I'm betting that voicing a grievance through official channels would be ineffective, and hereby recommend taking the law into your own hands.

[goodhue]

9. Enforcing ordinance as to size would be illegal between Aug 1 and Nov 12

See my post below.

[MnFats]

5. i believe there's pretty wide leeway in the law...

...as it's temporary and involves free speech.
however! and this is one of my biggest beefs... they may NOT be placed where they obstruct the vision of motorists....so maybe you can use that....

and my biggest beef...they may NOT be planted on public property, no way, shape or form. but you see it a lot at well-traveled intersections. in some parts of the state & twin cities, there is no enforcement at all.

for example, Bloomington DOES make an effort to remove signs from public property, but on Cedar avenue south of the Mn. River, it's ANYTHING goes. check it out. it's a nightmare. Dakota Count makes NO effort to control signs.

[goodhue]

8. State statute prohibits city from enforcing ordinance as to size or number

http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/stats/211B/045.html

211B.045 Noncommercial signs exemption.

In any municipality, whether or not the municipality has an
ordinance that regulates the size or number of noncommercial
signs, all noncommercial signs of any size may be posted in any
number from August 1 in a state general election year until ten
days following the state general election.

HIST: 1990 c 585 s 30; 2004 c 142 s 1

Copyright 2004 by the Office of Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota.

[goodhue]

10. Minneapolis ordinance 543.260. Political signs.

http://library12.municode.com/gateway.dll/MN/minnesota/260/568/580?fn=document-frameset.htm$f=templates$3.0#LPTOC5.8

543.260. Political signs.

(a) Location. Political signs are allowed as a permitted encroachment in the required front yard. No political sign shall be closer than eight (8) feet from any other zoning lot. No political sign shall be placed on the public right-of-way, including boulevard trees and utility poles.

(b) Size.
(1) Residence and OR1 Districts. One (1) freestanding or wall political sign, not to exceed eight (8) square feet in area, shall be permitted per street frontage. A larger political sign may be allowed, provided such sign shall be included in the calculation of the total permitted sign area of the site and shall be regulated as such.
(2) All other districts. One (1) freestanding or wall political sign, not to exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in area, shall be permitted per street frontage. A larger political sign may be allowed, provided such sign shall be included in the calculation of the total permitted sign area of the site and shall be regulated as such.

(c) Height.
(1) Residence and OR1 Districts. The height of a freestanding political sign shall not exceed six (6) feet. A political sign mounted on a wall shall not exceed the height requirements of the district in which the sign is located.
(2) All other districts. The height of a freestanding political sign shall not exceed fourteen (14) feet. A political sign mounted on a wall shall not exceed the height requirements of the district in which the sign is located.
(d) Sign removal. Signs sponsoring candidates for public office shall be removed within ten (10) days after an election has been held unless the candidate is one (1) who qualifies as a candidate to be named on the ballot at a general election after a primary election. In that case, signs erected prior to the primary election may be left in place until ten (10) days after the general election.

[northernsoul]

11. hey Goodhue, how did you get into Municode?

I'd like to see the St. Paul ordinances for myself at some time.

[goodhue]

12. St. Paul code is available directly from city website . . .

St. Paul Code of Ordinances
http://www.ci.stpaul.mn.us/code/

Minneapolis web site has gateway to municode . . .
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cityhall/laws/ordinances/

General municode website is here . . .
http://www.municode.com/

Another great online municipal code resource is state law library . . .
http://www.lawlibrary.state.mn.us/ordinance.html