Minutes - Council - 02/22/2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Community Development DirectOr Trudge°n explained the City received an application from Leroy Signs, Inc. requesting a conditional use permit to exceed sign size restrictions for the NAU Country Insurance Co. single ocmipant building located at 7333 Sunwood Drive. 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. Community Development Director Trudgeon explained the Town Center district sign regulations, excluding the TC-2 subdistrict, are much more restrictive for the general Business and Employment districts. These regulations were developed with the intention of applying them to the core areas of the Town Center where therelwill be many multi-tenant buildings, with each individual tenant having very limited frontage..The NAU County Insurance Co. building has dimensions of 179 feet by 183 feet, hasi frOnta~ge along three public roads, and is a single- occupant building. It is located in the TC-3 zoning district; which restricts wall-mounted signs to a maximum of five percent of the ground floor building fagade area or 24 square feet, whichever is less. Furthermore, lettering, numbers, or graphics are restricted to a maximum height of 12 inches. However, businesses with frOntage~ on~ more than one public road are allowed the perlnitted sign criteria for each street frontage, lie explained Leroy Signs Inc. is proposing to install two wall-mounted signs, one on the front fggade of the building and one on the rear faCade of the building. Leroy Signs Inc. is requeSting.an increase in square footage to 53.17 per sign, with two-foot high letters, in order to have a Proportionately sized sign on the front and back of the building. The applicant has stated that a Sigh meeting the current restrictions look severely disproportionate on such a large building. ~either of the signs would project from the wall more than six inches. Community Development Director Trudgeon advised that the City has, in the past, granted conditional use permits for signs larger than allowed under City Ordinances. The Planning Commission conducted a public hearing regarding Leroy Signs request on February 3, 2005 and there was ilo public input. However, there was some discussion regarding the appropriateness of the proposed sign size. Due to the fact that this is a large, single tenant building, staff believes that the increased sign size is notonly proportionate to the building fagade but is also appropriate itl terms of scale. He advised the Planning Commission recommended approval of the request by a 3-2 vote. Staff is also recommending aPProval of the request to exceed the sign size restrictions. Councihnember Elvig noted the minutes of the Planning Commission meeting should be corrected to show Commissioner Brauer as absent. He questioned if this ordinance is workable in the way it has been drafted. Community Development Director Trudgeon replied in the zeal to regulate, the City may be too strict in some cases. Overall in this district where there will be a number of multi-tenant buildings staff wants to be careful. This:case was looked at very specifically, given this is a single tenant building. This is the only sign they will have and is appropriate. He noted staff has f~ound the ordinance difficult to implement in'praCtice. City Council/February 22, 2005 Page 8 ,of 31