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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-8161 Staff AnalysisJANUARY 29, 2007 ITEM NO.: 6 File No.: Z-8161 Owner: Capital View Properties Applicant: Michael Waters, The Italian Couple Restaurant Address: 1900 West 3rd Street Description: North side of West Td Street, 200 feet east of South Battery Street Zoned: C-3 Variance Requested: Variances are requested from Sections 36-555 and 36-557 in conjunction with wall and ground signage placed on the property. Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter. Present Use of Property: Restaurant Proposed Use of Property: Restaurant STAFF REPORT A. Public Works Issu No Comments B. Staff Analysis: The C-3 zoned property at 1900 W. 3`d Street is occupied by a one-story commercial building. The west half of the building is occupied by a liquor store. The Italian Couple Restaurant recently moved into the east portion of the building. There is paved parking on the south, east and west sides of the building, with access from West 3`d Street. There is an existing ground -mounted sign for the liquor store at the southwest corner of the commercial building. When the restaurant relocated to the property at 1900 W. 3`d Street, wall signs were placed on the south and east sides of the building. The wall signs are approximately 24 square feet in size (4 feet by 6 feet). Additionally, a 4 foot by 4 foot sign was placed on the flag pole at the southeast corner of the building, creating a second ground -mounted sign on the property. The new ground sign has slightly over 11 feet of clearance over the paved parking along the south side of the building. The two (2) ground -mounted signs have a. separation of JANUARY 29, 2007 ITEM NO.: 6 (CON'T. approximately 82 feet. The property has approximately 150 linear feet of street frontage. Section 36-555(b) of the City's Zoning Ordinance requires that ground -mounted signs have a minimum clearance of 13 feet over vehicular use areas. Section 36- 557( c) requires a minimum of 300 linear feet of street frontage for two (2) ground - mounted signs on a single property, and that the signs be separated by at least 150 feet. Additionally, Section 36-557(a) requires that all on -premise wall signs face required street frontage. Therefore, the applicant is requesting variances to allow the second ground sign, to have a reduced clearance, and the wall sign on the east side of the building without street frontage. Staff is supportive of the variance to allow the wall sign on the east side of the building without direct street frontage. Staff feels the sign on the east wall will provide better visibility for west -bound traffic on W. 3rd Street, and aid in identifying the building. However, staff cannot support the variances associated with the second ground -mounted sign. Staff does not believe the site is large enough to warrant a second ground -mounted sign. The site has only approximately half of the street frontage typically required for a second ground -mounted sign on commercial property. Staff could support a projecting sign in -lieu of the second ground -mounted sign. The ordinance allows projecting signs of up to 15 square feet in commercial zones. Staff could support a variance to allow the 16 square foot sign to be removed from the flag pole and attached to the building as a projecting sign. If the applicant were willing to make this change, staff could support the application, subject to permits being obtained for the signage. C. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends denial of the requested sign variances, as filed. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (JANUARY 29, 2007) The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the item. The applicant contacted staff on January 26, 2007 and amended the application as recommended by staff. The applicant will remove the sign from the flag pole and attach it to the building as a projecting sign. The sign is 16 square feet in area which is one (1) square foot over the maximum allowed by ordinance. Staff recommended approval of a variance to allow the additional square foot in area, as well as the variance to allow the wall sign without street frontage, subject to permits being obtained for both signs. The applicant offered no additional comments. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved as revised and recommended by staff by a vote of 3 ayes, 0 nays, 0 absent and 2 open positions.