A Hooters sign will adorn the State Street corridor, with the Bismarck City Commission reconsidering its past denial and approving an agreement allowing the sign on a city water main easement.

It was Commissioner Steve Schwab who made the motion to reconsider the issue at Tuesday's commission meeting.

Schwab, with Keith Demke, director of public utility operations, visited the site and determined the location Hooters had selected was in line with the other commercial signs along the easement on the east side of State Street. Many of the businesses had been granted easement waivers to put up their signs.

"I guess I'll have to eat crow," Commissioner Dave Jensen said. "I was under the impression that in my 20 years on the commission we had never voted to allow encrochment on a water easement. Now, I find we do it all the time. Never in my remembrance did I think we allowed this."

Jensen also said that he had received a letter saying that Hooters would pursue the issue through legal channels, should the city fail to allow the company to put up the sign.

City attorney Charlie Whitman confirmed that the city had received a letter from Hooters stating that the company would take legal action. No one representing the operation addressed the commission during the course of its discussion.

The commission approved Schwab's motion to reconsider the issue, and Connie Sprynczynatyk's motion to approve the agreement on 4-to-1 votes. The only dissent came from Sandi Tabor, who also had opposed issuance of the liquor license to the bar-restaurant.

The commission has asked the city planning staff to consider new standards relating to "sign pollution," particularly as it affects the State Street corridor.

The commissioners said they hoped that staff will be able to provide some idea on how much time it will take to come up with those standards at the next meeting of the commission.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)