Banners aren’t banned

At least not in downtown St. Paul. The St. Paul City Council held a public hearing Wednesday on an ordinance to change the downtown sign regulations.  The new regulations would change a few things — most noticeably, they would squish the banners from the 5 feet to 3 feet high. The Capitol River Council (the downtown district council) has been working on updating the current temporary sign ordinance for several years.

Banners would still be restricted to event advertising for a legitimate public purpose, and businesses won’t be allowed to put up banners. Banners hung on the skyways now are limited to 120 square feet but often are 5 feet high. Rod Halvorson, president-elect of the Capitol River Council, said  it is very important for skyway users to be able to see out of the skyways and that the 5-feet-high signs create a “tunnel feel” and block visibility.

Erin Dady, the City of St. Paul’s marketing director, had several objections. “The events and banners promote the City of St. Paul itself,” she said. Some of her concerns were addressed by amendments to the original ordinance, but she still worried that restrictions would limit the city’s ability to draw significant events. Bill Collins said, “This city isn’t real crazy about promoting what’s going on” and said he’d love to see even bigger signs and have the city get the endorsement of big companies like 3M.

Ward 2 Council Member Dave Thune, whose district includes downtown, said the ordinance wouldn’t stop the banners but would allow for better rotation. “People can’t hog the spots all year long,” he said.

The City Council will vote on the ordinance Feb. 14.