Height of controversial sign in Fargo will remain as is, for now

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - Concerns over the size of a sign in Fargo were raised Tuesday afternoon at a Fargo Planning Commission meeting.

Steven Stremick, the owner of Select Financial Services, located at 1155 13th Ave. S. in Fargo, requested a zoning change, to allow a taller monument sign of 12 ½ feet, than what is currently allowed, which is 8 ½ feet. Stremick says the reason for the request dates back to March of 2022, when he says his sign was badly damaged when a drunk driver crossed several lanes of traffic, ultimately running into the sign.

“If my sign would not have been there, we would probably be talking about three or four dead people coming up University,” Stremick said. Stremick added his reasoning for raising the height is to protect the sign from drivers.

Commissioner Dawn Morgan says the sign is a safety hazard to the intersection of 13th Ave. S. and University Drive, “that is a very complicated intersection and to have a distraction like that, I mean, the reason it’s there is you are asking the driver to be distracted; so I don’t think it belongs there at all, it has never been anything the neighborhoods have liked.” Morgan said.

“The sign itself is very much out of scale, the brightness, doesn’t seem like it fits in with the greater rest of the neighborhood,” added Commissioner Thomas Schmidt.

Stremick told commissioners that he went to 35 households nearby his property, who are all in support of the sign being there. It was also explained at Tuesday’s meeting that if Mr. Stremick wanted to repair the sign; the current height of the sign would stay in effect.

Stremick’s request was denied by commissioners, in a 6 to 1 vote. The topic will next be brought up at a city commission meeting.