Staff photo by Clay Schuldt An artist’s rendering of the proposed Betty Kohn Fieldhouse features the Martin Luther College Knight logo and red lance banning above the building name. The Planning Commission debated weather the red bands qualified as signage during Thursday’s meeting.

NEW ULM — Martin Luther College’s new Betty Kohn Fieldhouse received a sign variance recommendation from the New Ulm Planning Commission, Thursday but it was several hundred feet shy of the original request.

The sign variance request came from Oleson + Hobbie Architects LLC, on behalf of Martin Luther College, seeking up to 1,545.5 square feet of exterior signage on the Betty Kohn Fieldhouse at 1800 Boettger Road.

New Ulm’s current sign code allows 30 sq ft for a sign for buildings of this type. However, the city has granted five sign variances for institutions or education facilities located in residential zoning districts since 1977. The most recent variance was granted to the city in July for the new Recreation Center. It was granted 302 square feet of signage on the property.

MLC proposed placing two large signs on the Betty Kohn Fieldhouse that is currently under construction. These sign areas will be on the north and south walls of the field house.

Staff believes that the signage being proposed would only be visible to residents/automobiles along Oak Street and CSAH 27. Because of the size of the fieldhouse structure, city staff does not believe that signage of this size would be necessary for anyone looking to find the fieldhouse.

It was noted by staff that the fieldhouse would be higher than most buildings. The peak of the fieldhouse is 71 feet tall from the ground level. The sidewalls of the building would be 33 feet tall.

For comparison, the new Recreation Center addition is 35 feet tall; the Brown County Courthouse is 68 feet tall and the recently demolished elevators at Hanska Farmer’s Coop were 70 feet tall.

City Planner John Knisley said the city is updating zoning ordinances and considering different approaches for sign areas at institutions and educational facilities, but nothing new has been adopted.

Eric Oleson with Oleson + Hobbie Architect argued the red banding on the building was not part of the sign. He described it as similar to wainscoting and was a design element intended to break up the primarily white color of the building. The bottom section of the building already had a grey zig-zag pattern to add additional color. He argued the grey pattern was not considered signage and the red bands should not qualify as signage either. If the red banding was taken out of the signage consideration, the variance request was reduced to 801 square feet.

Commissioner Anne Earl said had a hard time removing the red bands from the signage. The red bands in the draft image resembled red lances framing the MLC Knight helmet.

“The way it is presented it looks like it is incorporated in the sign,” Earl said.

Community Development Director David Schnobrich said the city’s definition for signage was broad but clear. In this case, he believed the red banding was part of the sign because it sat between the logo and lettering.

Commissioner Larry Mack believed the red banding was an architectural feature that was separating the sign. Mack questioned if the banding would still be considered signage if it were an architectural feature of the building. Oleson gave an example of different color brick material. If the red bands were made of a different color construction material, would the city still be considered part of a sign instead of part of the building?

Earl said that was an irrelevant question because that was not what was being presented. She asked if the red band needed to be there at all.

Oleson said without the red bands, the building is less interesting.

Schnobrich said the commission needed to consider precedent. If recommended, other schools and institutes would qualify for greater signage.

“Is that visually what we want?” he asked.

Commission Mike Furth said even without the red bands, the building’s signage went well beyond the 30 square feet ordinance.

Schnobrich reminded the commissioners the decision was not all or nothing. The variance request was 1,530 square feet, but they could recommend a lower amount.

Furth said they were struggling to honor the code and be reasonable. He recommends a variance that would allow for 801 square feet as a compromise motion with a second from Commissioner Michelle Sellner.

Mack was concerned the entrance sign would also require improvements. The recommendation was rounded up to 820 square feet.

The variance for 820 square feet of signage was approved by a 3-2 vote with commissioners Cate Macho and Earl voting against. Furth, Sellner and Mack voted in favor.

The recommendation will go before the city council on Sept. 7.

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The commission unanimously recommended approving an application from Tim Cordes for a variance allowing a 10′ x 12′ accessory structure to be located 6 feet from the side property line on property zoned Single Family Residence District at 1827 North Jefferson Street.

Cordes stated that because he has no alley access to his backyard and because the county owns the property to the north that it is not feasible to locate the shed in his backyard.

The shed would be placed on an existing driveway pad.

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A permit was approved for the installation of a special purpose fence at 2100 Palmer Avenue. The applicate from Kyle Rhodes, on behalf of Donlar Construction (Applicant) and Russell Eckholm, on behalf of the State of Minnesota Department of Military Affairs.

The National Guard requires a section of barbed wire fence along the top edge of the fence. The purpose of the fence is to protect persons in the area. Inside the fence are large military vehicles that required a higher level of security. The existing National Guard facility on South Washington Street has a storage area with similar fencing. For these reasons, city staff recommended approval.

The commissioners agreed the request complied with previous requests and it would surround government property. The permit was unanimously approved.