HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-6718 Staff AnalysisAugust 30, 1999
Item No.: 1
File No.
Owner:
Address:
Description:
Zoned:
Variance Requested:
Z-6718
R -G Joint Ventures
10011 I-30
Lot 2, CWC Subdivision
C-4
A variance is requested from the
sign height provisions of Section
36-555 to permit a 65 foot tall
ground -mounted sign.
Justification: Applicant's Statement: We are
requesting a sign permit variance
for our new Dixie Cafe in Southwest
Little Rock. The current sign
height provision is 36 feet. We
request a variance to mount a 12' X
12' (144 s . f . ) sign at a height of
65 feet. This restaurant is an
interstate highway location, where
the ability to bring people off of
the highway is a must for our
business.
The location of our building is set
back a considerable distance from
the property line which makes
recognition of our distinctive
building design from a distance
quite difficult. Using the
standard 36' height would make
visual recognition of our trademark
diamond shaped sign extremely
difficult from I-30.
Our standard 12' X 12' diamond sign
mounted at a 65' height has been
successful at our Dixie Cafe
restaurants in Benton, Cabot,
Searcy and Russellville where we
are located on a four lane state or
interstate highway.
August 30, 1999
Item No.: 1 (Cont.)
Present Use of Property:
Proposed Use of Property
Staff Report :
A. Public Works Issues:
Restaurant building (former Luby's)
Restaurant (Dixie Cafe)
No issues related to this sign variance.
B. Staff Analysis:
The C-4 zoned property located at 10011 I-30 was previously
occupied by Luby's Cafeteria. The building is now being
renovated for conversion to a Dixie Cafe. The applicants
are requesting a variance to allow a 65 foot tall, 144 sq.
ft. ground -mounted sign. Section 36-555 limits the size of
ground -mounted signs in the commercial district to 160 sq.
ft. and 36 feet in height.
The applicant has stated that the building is set back a
considerable distance from the property line, making
recognition of their distinctive building design difficult.
The applicant has also stated that using a 36 foot tall sign
would make visual recognition of their trademark diamond
shaped sign difficult from I-30. Finally, the applicant has
stated that the taller sign is necessary to bring people off
of the interstate.
Staff does not support the requested variance. The property
has frontage on both Baseline Road and the I-30 Frontage
Road and is very visible from the interstate. A 36 foot
tall, 118 sq. ft. ground -mounted sign has already been
approved for the Baseline Frontage of the site. The exit
ramp for west bound traffic on the interstate is directly
across from the site and the east bound exit ramp is located
so far west of the site that it is questionable whether a 65
foot tall sign would be visible due to a rise in the
interstate and the Mabelvale Pike overpass.
No other business in this newly developed commercial area
has a sign approaching the height requested by the
applicant. Other sign heights in the area are as follows:
Coulson Oil Convenience Store 2 - 35' tall
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August 30, 1999
Item No.: 1 (Cont.
Wal-Mart Supercenter
McDonald's Restaurant
Ryan's Restaurant
Mabelvale Plaza Shopping Center
1 - 30'
tall
1 - 40'
tall
1 - 36'
tall
1 - 35'
tall
1 - 361
tall
The sign proposed by the applicant is out of character with
other signs in the area. Staff does not believe there is
justification to support the requested 65 foot height,
nearly twice the height permitted by the code.
C. Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends denial of the requested sign height
variance.
BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT:
(AUGUST 30, 1999)
Richard Craig was present requesting the applicant. There were
no objectors present. Staff presented the item and a
recommendation of denial.
Mr. Craig addressed the Board in support of the variance request.
He stated that Dixie Cafe currently had 5 locations in Little
Rock and that this 6':" location would add to the City's tax er se.
Mr. Craig stated that Dixie's past experience in other cities
where their sites are adjacent to freeways has shown that a
taller sign works and is necessary. He noted that the previous
occupant of the site, Luby's, failed either because "people
didn't like the cafeteria or their
sign
rl65
stated that he had conducted astudy and had determined thata
foot tall sign would work at this site.
Norm Floyd asked if this proposed restaurant was to replace an
existing Dixie Cafe on Geyer Springs Road. Mr. Craig responded
that he was not aware of atedsthatclose
had spokenDixie"
theexisting
manager
restaurants. Mr. Floyd n
of the Geyer Springs Dixie Cafe who confirmed that this new
Baseline Road restaurant was to replace the Geyer Springs
location. Mr. Floyd commented that it would result in Dixie
maintaining 5 sites in Little Rock, not increasing to 6 as Mr.
Craig had stated.
Mr. Floyd stated that he had conducted his own study and he
questioned whether a 65 foot tall sign would be visible at the
eastbound I-30 exit.
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August 30, 1999
Item No.: 1 (Cont.)
Gary Langlais asked Mr. Craig if anything less than 65 feet would
be acceptable. Mr. Craig responded that Dixie wanted a 65 foot
tall sign.
Mr. Langlais commented that the site was in an urban setting, not
along a rural stretch of interstate such as in Cabot or Searcy
and the appropriate signage for the site was different than for
those other rural sites.
The Chairman called the question on the variance request as
filed. The vote was 1 aye, 3 noes and 1 absent, denying the
variance request.
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