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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report adult day care STAFF REPORT ITEM NO. 1. DATE: May 8, 2006 APPLICANT: Wali Caradine ADDRESS: 1101 Cumberland Street COA REQUEST: Replace signage on building to reflect new business and new door on north side. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION: The subject property is located at 1101 Cumberland Street. The property’s legal description is Lot 1, Block 46, Original to the City of Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas." The architectural significance in the 1978 survey is listed as a Priority III (I being the highest and III being the lowest) and Historical Significance of Local Significance. Local historical significance means that the buildings are associated with people of social prominence. The 1988 survey shows it as a non-contributing structure. This application is to replace signage on building to reflect new business. The building is currently the subject of a Conditional Use Permit to be heard on May 25, 2006 at the Planning Commission. The proposed use is an Adult Daycare to serve elderly clients within the city and surrounding area. The application also includes a new door on the north side. It is approximately in the middle of the inset area. The door will match the other doors on the structure. It will replace one of the windows on that side. The sign change and the door addition are the changes to the exterior of the structure . The signage on the north and west side of the buildings above the blue awnings will be changed. The text “Summerset Adult Day Care Center” will reflect the new business. DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT 723 West Markham Street Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1334 Phone: (501) 371-4790 Fax: (501) 399-3435 Location of Project 2 There will be signage at street level on the glass in vinyl letters applied to th e glass. Any signage on the widows at street level will be considered a sign if the word “SummerSet” is included. Hours of operation, services provided, payment options, etc do not constitute a sign. Currently, the sign “Fashion Park Cleaners” has text that is approximately 24 inches tall (the “F” and the “P”). The proposed signage has letters that are 24”, 20” and 6” tall. PREVIOUS ACTIONS ON THIS SITE: On June 9, 1988, a COA was approved and issued to Brookshur Banks of Fashion Parks Cleaners for rebuilding the burned building. On September 21, 1987, a COA was approved and issued Fashion Park Cleaners for a façade treatment. ANALYSIS: The current signage has wall signs facing Cumberland and 11th Street with the text “Fashion Park Cleaners” in two lines of text. The words are out of “EIFS” and the wall is also of “EIFS”. The proposed letters on the wall signs “will be out of plastic and paint ed blue with a color and finish to compliment the matte blue color and finish of the ceramic tile blocks that accent the building.” The new signage will occupy the same space as West façade in 1978 West façade in 1988 Existing Building from NW Existing front of building 3 the current signs. The diamonds on each side of the text will not be removed and the signage will fit between those diamonds. When the “EIFS” letters are removed from the building, the façade of the building will need to be repaired to make the façade smooth and the texture and color of the building the same as the surrounding area. Proposed West signage Proposed North signage Proposed Text WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF THE APPLICATION BASED OFF OF INTENT AND GUIDELINES: The Sign Guidelines states fifteen items relating to the design of signs, of which eleven items are relevant to this case: B. Signs that flash or rotate should not be used. C. Signs should be kept to a minimum, one per house or two per commercially-used residential building. E. Signs that are attached to a building should be painted on windows or doors, small identification panels at entrances, small signs hung on porches between posts, flush mounted signs on building wall, small projecting signs, or part of an awning. 4 G. Signs of neon or internal lighting should not be used on dwellings or commercially–used residential buildings. H. Signs should not be illuminated with visible bulbs or luminous paints, but with remote sources. I. Signs should be of traditional materials such as finished wood, glass, copper or bronze, not plywood, plastic, or unfinished wood. J. Signs should utilize logos or symbols for businesses. L. Signs should use no more than three colors and use colors that coordinate with the building colors. M. Signs should have traditional lettering such as serif, sans serif, or script and letters which do not exceed 18 inches in height or cover more than 60 percent of the total sign area. O. Signs should otherwise comply with the Little Rock Sign Ordinance provisions. The proposed signage conforms to the above criteria with the exception of part “I” and “M”. The letters are to be made of plastic and painted matte blue. No mention of how the signs will be illuminated has been made. The letters are approximately the same size as the previous letters. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS AND REACTION: At the time of distribution, there were no comments regarding this application. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval with the following conditions: 1. Obtaining all permits: building and signs 2. Submittal to Staff of any lighting fixtures to illuminate sign. HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION ACTION: May 8, 2006 Brian Minyard, Staff, made a brief presentation. He noted that the item was also on the Planning Commission agenda for a Conditional Use Permit. He did state the differences to the signs and the guidelines as stated. He presented the staff recommendation and added a further condition to repair the façade after the old sign is removed. Commissioner Marshall Peters asked if this was a burned out building. Wali Caradine said that it had burned and was rebuilt in 1988. Mr. Caradine, the applicant and owner of the building and business, made a presentation to the commission. The lettering on the sign will be similar in scale and scope to the existing signage. There will not be any lighting on the lettering, there is none now and do not plan to add any. The blue tiles on the building are embedded into the EFIS. Plastic letters will be used. The building was renovated in 1988 and the building is over fifty years old. Mr. Caradine passed around a sketch that showed the elevations of the building that included trees in the sidewalk. Commissioner Peters asked if they were putting trees in 5 the sidewalk. Mr. Caradine responded that there is a main water line in the sidewalk that will prohibit planting trees in the ground. He continued that he would use planters instead. He continued that he was in front of the Planning Commission for a CUP (Conditional Use Permit) and that some of the items presented here are duplications of the other application. There was discussion about amending his application to include the planters and Chairman Carolyn Newbern stated that the applicant must state for t he record that he was amending his application concerning the planters. Commissioner Job Serebrov asked Debra Weldon if the application could be amended to have staff give final approval of the planters. Ms. Weldon answered yes that it can. Chairman Newbern restated to the applicant that he can amend his application to include the planters and that staff would have final approval of the planters. Commissioner Peters reiterated to the applicant that he needed to amend his application today so that it did not postpone his application for one-month time. The applicant did so. He was offered planters that had sat at the Innerplan building and at one time had sat in the Metrocentre Mall had wanted to use them. He said that they were exposed aggregate concrete planters and that they were more theft proof. Planters would soften the appearance of the building. Commissioner Walls asked if he would make them similar in color to the building. When asked, Mr. Caradine stated that there would be two planters on Cumberland Street and one the west corner of 11th Street. He continued that there are lots of trees on Cumberland that these could continue that line of plants. Mr. Minyard asked what kinds of trees were going to be planted. Public Works ha s provided a list of trees that are suitable for the planters and that crepe myrtles are not on that list. Chairman Newbern was surprised at that and offered that the Pulaski County Master Gardeners also has list of plants for planters based on shade, sun , heat, etc. Commissioner Serebrov asked for clarification on the planters and if the applicant had indeed amended his application. Ms. Weldon asked that applicant if he had amended his application. Mr. Caradine stated yes. Staff amended their recommendation to state: Approval with the following conditions: 1. Obtaining all permits: building and signs (Strike comment on lighting of signs. The applicant has stated 6 that there would be no lighting.) 2. Repair façade of building after letters are removed. 3. Staff approval of planters, plants and placement. 4. Franchise permit and approval from Public Works. Wali Caradine stated for the record that he had amended his application concerning the planters. Chairman Newbern asked and there were no citizens present to speak for or against the application. A motion was made by Commissioner Walls to approve the application as amended with staff recommendations as amended. Commissioner Serebrov seconded. The motion was approved with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 noes and 0 absent. Following the vote was general discussion about the project, the opening date and that the site was a brownfield.