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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-8410 Staff AnalysisOCTOBER 27, 2008 ITEM NO.: 7 File No.: Z-8410 Owner: Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation Applicant: Gary Keathley Address: 10720 Kanis Road Description: Northeast corner of Kanis and Shackleford Roads Zoned: O-3 Variance Requested: Variances are requested from the sign provisions of Section 36- 553 to allow two (2) ground -mounted signs with increased height and area. Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter. Present Use of Property: Arkansas Farm Bureau Offices Proposed Use of Property: Arkansas Farm Bureau Offices STAFF REPORT A. Public Works Issues: No Comments. B. Staff Analysis: The 0-3 zoned property at 10720 Kanis Road is occupied by the Arkansas Farm Bureau Campus. The property is located at the northeast corner of Kanis and Shackleford Roads, with Interstate 430 along the east property boundary and an interstate on -ramp along the north property line. The main Arkansas Farm Bureau office building is located within the east half of the property, with paved parking located between the building and Shackleford and Kanis Roads. There is a daycare building (for the Arkansas Farm Bureau campus) located at the southeast corner of the property. Access drives from Kanis and Shackleford Roads serve the development. There are three (3) existing ground -mounted signs on the property. There is a sign on a masonry wall at the southeast corner of the property, a concrete monument -type sign near the southwest corner of the property and a monument -type sign near the northwest corner of the development. OCTOBER 27, 2008 ITEM NO.: 7 (CON'T. The applicant is proposing to replace the two (2) signs at the northwest and southwest corners of the property with new signs. The existing sign near the southeast corner of the property will remain. The proposed sign near the northwest corner of the property will be 12 feet by 24 feet (288 square feet) in area and 20 feet tall. It will be an electronic messaging sign. The proposed sign near the southwest corner of the property will be a monument -type sign with an area of approximately 180 square feet and a height of seven (7) feet. This sign will consist of a five (5) foot high rock base, with two (2) foot high letters on top. Section 36-553(a)(2) of the City's Zoning Ordinance allows ground -mounted signs (one per street frontage) in office zones with maximum areas of 64 square feet and maximum heights of six (6) feet. Therefore, the applicant is requesting variances from these ordinance standards to allow the proposed ground -mounted signs at the northwest and southwest corners of the property with increased areas and heights. Staff does not support the variances, as requested. Staff cannot support the proposed sign at the northwest corner of the property. The proposed sign is over three (3) times the maximum allowed sign height in office zones and 4.5 times larger than the maximum area. The proposed sign is approaching the size of billboard signage and staff feels it does not meet the purpose and intent of signage in office zoning for identifying office developments. Staff does support the variances for the sign at the southwest corner of the property. Although the sign is much larger in area than typical office signage, the majority of the sign area is comprised of the masonry sign base, with only approximately 40 square feet in sign copy. Staff believes this sign will blend in well with the topography and vegetation at the southwest corner of the property and have no adverse impact on the general area. C. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested variances associated with the proposed ground -mounted sign at the southwest corner of the property. Staff recommends denial of the requested variances associated with the proposed ground -mounted sign at the northwest corner of the property. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT: (OCTOBER 27, 2008) Gary Keathley was present, representing the application. There were no objectors present. Staff presented the application with a recommendation of approval of the proposed sign at the southwest corner of the property, subject to the following conditions: 1. A sign permit must be obtained for the sign. OCTOBER 27, 2008 ITEM NO.: 7 CON'T.) 2. The existing sign near the southwest corner of the property must be removed with construction of the new sign. Staff recommended denial of the variances associated with the proposed sign at the northwest corner of the property. Gary Keathley addressed the Board in support of the application. He gave a brief description of Arkansas Farm Bureau. He explained that the proposed electronic sign at the northwest corner of the property would be primarily for community service messages. He provided a photo of the proposed sign to the Board. James Van Dover asked if the messages on the sign would be only public service messages. Mr. Keathley noted that the messages would be public service and would also advertise services offered by Arkansas Farm Bureau. There was a discussion of the proposed size of the sign at the northwest corner of the site. Mr. Keathley noted that the size needed to be as proposed, so the sign could be easily seen. Debra Weldon, City Attorney, explained that the City typically does not regulate sign content, but that the proposed sign could not advertise anything off -site. Dana Carney, of the Planning Staff, noted that the Board could not approve an off -premise sign. He explained that the proposed sign could only advertise services offered by Arkansas Farm Bureau at 10720 Kanis Road. He noted that the State also had regulations for off -premise signs. Chairman Burruss noted that he had no problem with the sign at the southwest corner of the property, but could not support the sign at the northwest corner. There was a motion to approve the variances associated with the sign at the southwest corner of the property, as recommended by staff. The motion passed by a vote of 4 ayes, 0 nays and 1 absent. These variances were approved. There was a second motion to approve the variances associated with the sign at the northwest corner of the property. The motion failed by a vote of 0 ayes, 4 nays and 1 absent. These variances were denied.