Agenda - Planning Commission - 09/04/2008

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CASE # ~ PUBLIC HEARING "REQUEST FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO EXCEED SIGN SIZE RESTRICTIONS; CASE OF PSD, LLC By: Sylvia Frolik, Asst. Community Development Director Background: The City received" an application from PSD, LLC requesting a conditional use permit to exceed sign size restrictions for the Ramsey Office Plaza building located at7533 Sunwood Drive N.W. The following items are enclosed for your information: " a) Site location map b) Photo rendering of proposed wall signs c) Photo rendedng of proposed directory sign d) Proposed findings of fact "" e) " Proposed conditional use permit Notification: State statute requires notification of the public hearing to property owners within 350 feet of the subject property. Staff notified property owners within 350 feet of the subject property. . Observations: The Town Center district sign regulations are much more restrictive than those for the general Business and Employn;1ent districts throughout the community. Buildings in Town Center are allowed 1 wall sign per street frontage and the size limit on the sign is 5% of the are"a of the ground level fac;ade or 24 square feet, whichever is less. This compares to 15% of the area of the " entire building fac;ade, not just ground level, in the City's other business districts; or 25% of the area of the entire building facade if using channel letters. fu 2006, the City issued a permit to the applicant for 2 wall signs, at 214 square feet each, that are located at the top of the 3rd story and identify the. building name - Ramsey Office Plaza. Staff used the flexibility provided in the Town Center Sign regulationS to default to the regular business district" sign provisions to allow for the installation of these signs. The justification was that the size of the signs was proportionate to the 3 story building mass, and the size was much less than 25% of the entire area of the building fac;ade that would haye been allowed in a business district outside of Town Center. 31