City Council Meeting Date: November 10, 2026
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Mathias Hughey, AICP, Associate City Planner
Title
First Reading of Ordinance 1099 Approving Text Amendments Related to Signs on Athletic Fields.
Body
Action Requested:
The City Council will review and approve Ordinance 1099 modifying Article 6, and Article 9 of the Land Development Code (LDC) to permit and regulate off-premise advertising at specified Northfield School District- and City of Northfield-owned athletic fields.
Summary Report:
Background
The Northfield Public School District has asked staff to consider presenting amendments to Article 6 of the Land Development Code to establish an avenue and clear standards for signage associated with athletic fields on District-owned property and City-owned public park property. Currently, the District has sold and installed nonconforming advertising facing Division Street on outfield fences, advertising on existing outdoor scoreboards, and proposes adding additional advertising and a large digital video screen to a new scoreboard for the stadium.
City Code prohibits these signs in several ways, including prohibiting any structure designed for the purpose of selling advertising space or identifying off-site businesses. The District is seeking to allow advertising signage on scoreboards and fencing to generate revenue and create financial participation options for businesses. Local youth-sports organizations have also installed non-conforming off-premise advertising at City-owned athletic fields to help fund their operations.
Staff have prepared proposed amendments intended to establish a more specific regulatory framework for scoreboards, athletic field fence signs, and private wayfinding signs that do not clearly fit within the existing permanent or temporary sign categories. While also retaining the community’s long-standing protections against off-premise advertising.
The proposed amendments provide a clearer and more predictable process for athletic field signage while maintaining limits to protect public safety, neighborhood compatibility, and the overall intent of the sign ordinance. Athletic fields often include unique signage needs, including scoreboards, sponsor recognition, field identification, and on-site directional signage. Creating a dedicated ordinance section helps distinguish these signs from general commercial signage, temporary signage, and institutional signage. The amendments would also classify athletic field signage separately, so it would no longer be treated as off-site signage.
The proposed standards are generally consistent with the purpose of Article 6 because they regulate location, size, placement, lighting, and operational characteristics rather than regulating signs based on viewpoint or content. The limits on electronic scoreboard operation, illumination, and street visibility are particularly important for reducing potential impacts on adjacent properties and motorists.
Summary of Proposed Amendments
The ordinance would create a new Section 6.11 titled “Athletic Field Signage” and subsequent sections would be renumbered. The new section would allow certain athletic field signage on eligible public school district and City park properties subject to specific standards intended to address sign size, location, lighting, operational limits, and visibility from surrounding properties and public streets.
Key Ordinance Changes
o Creation of athletic field signage standards. The amendment establishes a dedicated ordinance section for scoreboards, athletic field fence signage, and private wayfinding signage associated with athletic facilities.
o Scoreboard regulations. The amendment allows one scoreboard per athletic field, subject to maximum height, area, setback, visibility, and commercial speech limitations. Electronic scoreboard components would be limited to use during games or events and would require dimming and shut-off controls. Signage must be coordinated in the use of colors, materials and shapes.
o Athletic field fence signs. The amendment allows signs on fencing surrounding athletic fields, including signs that may contain commercial speech, provided they do not exceed the height of the fence, face toward the athletic field, and are not illuminated.
o Wayfinding signs. Directional signs would be allowed within athletic facilities, subject to maximum size and height standards. The draft also addresses how naming-rights entities may be identified on wayfinding signs.
o Permit exemption clarification. The amendment adds language indicating that no zoning certificate is required for athletic field fence signage, so long as an approved sign plan is on file with the City Planner.
Several definitions are added to distinguish athletic field signage from other forms of signage.
Planning Commission Recommendation
The Planning Commission (PC) adopted a resolution (5-0, 2 absent) recommending approval to City Council at the October 15, 2026, PC meeting. See attached.
The PC reviewed multiple drafts and offered feedback at several meetings before approving the final draft version.
Public Comment
No public comment has been received.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of the ordinance.
The amendment has been vetted by the City’s attorney. Sign regulations require special consideration due to potential First Amendment impacts.
City Plans & Policies Relevance:
The proposed changes are unlikely to have a substantial impact on the guiding values of the Comprehensive Plan. Northfield has a long history of prohibiting off-premise advertising, video messaging signs, flashing signs, moving signs, and strict limitations on changeable copy signs. As a potential element of the essential character of Northfield, this condition will remain largely unchanged due to the relatively narrow allowances these changes provide.
Sponsorship of school sports expressed via signage on fencing and wayfinding signs could potentially reduce some of the barriers to participation in school sports or community athletic activities by offsetting costs. However, there is no clear mechanism by which the City could ensure revenues generated by sponsorships advance equitable participation in such activities. Other barriers, such as transportation, are likely to remain.
The inclusion of a large video screen on the high school scoreboard is not likely to advance any of the Comprehensive Plan’s guiding values and does not meet any specific actions or outcomes. The potential to contribute additional e-waste may be contrary to goals of reducing solid waste. However, the impact is also likely minimal, and additional revenue generated may advance other goals.
Alternative Options:
The Council may reject the proposed text amendments, may request minor changes to the proposed amendments, or may direct staff to initiate a new alternative text amendment.
Financial Impacts:
NA
Tentative Timelines:
September 30, 2026 - Public Hearing notice published in the Northfield News
October 15, 2026 - Public Hearing and PC recommendation on text amendments
November 10, 2026 - First Reading at City Council
November 17, 2026 - Second Reading at City Council and approval of Summary Publication
November 25, 2026 - Summary Publication in the Northfield News
December 25, 2026 - Ordinance goes into effect