Church proposes illuminated signs

Talk about it

Cheri Dixon, business administrator at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, appeared before the St. Paul Park Planning Commission May 12 to request permission to install illuminated signs on the church grounds, 920 Holley Ave.

Dixon asked for a variance request to erect two signs instead of the one allowed by city code. The signs would be 32 square feet instead of the 18 square feet allowed by city code and would be illuminated. The city code doesn’t allow illuminated signs.

She said the signs have been under consideration by church leaders for some time.

“There’s been talk that the church is sometimes hard to find,” Dixon said. “We have people coming from several directions and want to install the signs at Ninth and Holley avenues, facing Ninth, and at 10th and Laurel avenues, parallel to Laurel.”

She said the church also wants to be able to advertise its activities. “We want to be more inviting,” she said.

Planning Commission members were concerned about the oversized feature and asked if the signs would flash. Dixon said the signs won’t flash and in fact may be controlled by a timer inside to turn off the signs late in the evening.

Commission members will hear from the public on the request at 7 p.m. Monday, June 9. The City Council will hear from the public at its Monday, June 16 meeting.

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