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City Council Meeting Minutes October 5, 2010 Page 4 of 13 ORDINANCE No. 1580, SERIES 2010 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLES 15 AND 17 OF THE LOUISVILLE MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADOPT THE DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE SIGN MANUAL TO REGULATE THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND PLACEMENT OF ALL SIGNS IN DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE 2 Reading Public Hearing Mayor Sisk requested a Staff presentation. City Attorney Light read Ordinance No. 1580, Series 2010. Mayor Sisk opened the public hearing and requested a Staff presentation. City Planner McMillan explained over the past four months that the Planning Staff has undertaken a revision of the Downtown Sign Code. Staff presented the proposed preliminary modifications to the downtown sign code to the Planning Commission and other Boards and Commissions. There was a sentiment to encourage more creativity, provide more flexibility with the sign code, while continuing to promote and maintain the unique downtown character. The desire was to encourage more lighting options (neon), landmarking of signs and for iconic signs. Signs in alleys, and the process for a review of the sign code citywide were also discussed but will be reviewed at a later time. With respect to the discussion on murals, the guidelines permit murals on walls with a minimum of 500 SF of un- interrupted space but cannot exceed 50% of the wall. The City Attorney indicated murals can be addressed one of three ways in the manual. 1) Not allow murals downtown; 2) AIIow murals as a special review use or 3) AIIow murals with standards, which solely regulate size and placement. Staff recommended the third option and proposed the following: Murals which do not contain any advertising content or logos can be placed on walls with a minimum of five hundred (500) square feet of uninterrupted space (no windows, architectural features, openings). Murals can't exceed fifty (50) percent of a building facade. With respect to sandwich board signs, it was noted if the ordinance is approved the sign code would have an immediate effect on existing downtown businesses. Sandwich boards would be allowed in front of businesses having six (6) square feet in size (maximum). Each tenant would be allowed to have one. The key change is it would have to been located adjacent to the business it is advertising. There was a desire to develop a process to permit nonconforming signs in downtown Louisville to remain in place after designation as "iconic" or "landmark" signs. Two categories were created: 1) Landmark, through the Historic Preservation Commission review and eligible for preservation incentives and 2) Iconic, through review, but not eligible for preservation incentives. Staff recommended Council approve Ordinance No. 1580, Series 2010 on second and final reading.