Brewery granted sign variance

Great Northern Brewing Company’s neon

bronco will keep on bucking.

The Whitefish City Council approved a

variance for the brewery at last week’s meeting, allowing the

downtown business to keep a flashing neon sign that depicts a

jumping bronco, a hanging sign for the Draught House above the east

entrance, and the expansive Black Star lettering that runs along

the north side of the building. The brewery requested a variance

because the signage surpassed the square footage allowed in the

Whitefish sign ordinance.

In January 2010 Brewery Manager Marcus

Duffey had the Black Star sign re-installed when the brewery

resumed Black Star production. He added a smaller hanging Black

Star sign on the front of the business and authorized repair work

on the flashing neon sign, all without getting a sign permit.

When the city determined the brewery

signs were in violation of the law, they directed Duffey to either

remove them or apply for a sign variance. The brewery is entitled

to three signs with a maximum of 19.76 square feet; it has four

signs measuring a total of 198.67 square feet, roughly 10 times the

allowed square footage.

During the public hearing, Duffey

explained that their corner brewery “is not a typical building

downtown.” He said the majority of the frontage is not on the

Central Avenue side, but along First Street.

He also argued that the signage is

helping the brewery “sell a look, a feel, a vibrancy of

downtown.”

“As a downtown business that has seen

some real ups and downs,” Duffey said, “the last three years we’ve

worked our tails off to bring the brewery back into a condition

that’s vibrant, that’s active and participating in the

community.

“It’s been my goal to be very loud as a

business downtown, but also to be loud in a respectful way. I

believe that we’ve accomplished that and I don’t believe our signs

are loud in a sense that is disrespectful to the sign ordinance or

a hindrance to our neighbors.”

Jan Metzmaker, who was on the city

council when brewery was built and was on the sign-ordinance

committee, said she was OK with the nonconforming signs because

they are integral to the Black Star business. The Black Star

lettering on the north side of the building helps to break up the

big expanse of that wall, she added.

“I hope you recognize there are some

historical and cool things about our town that maybe we should

allow,” Metzmaker told the council.

Rhonda Fitzgerald, who owns a bed and

breakfast inn, said the brewery was meant to be a signature

building and that the Black Star lettering was an integral part of

the architectural design.

Car dealer Don Kaltschmidt agreed with

both Fitzgerald and Metzmaker, a rare occurrence.

Dru Jackman said her only concern was

that the brewery didn’t go through the sign permit process.

The council quickly agreed to approve

the variance, although John Muhlfeld said he hopes the brewery

respects the sign code moving forward.

The brewery will be required to pay a

$1,980 permit fee and will have to bring an oversized A-frame

reader board into compliance.