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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-8853-A Staff AnalysisAPRIL 30, 2018 ITEM NO.: A File No.: Z-8853-A Owner: K-Lofts, LLC Applicant: Rett Tucker, Moses Tucker Real Estate Address: 315 Main Street Description: East side of Main Street, between E. 3rd and E. 4th Streets. Zoned: UU Variance Requested: A variance is requested from the sign provisions of Section 36-557 to allow wall signs without street frontage. Justification: The applicant's justification is presented in an attached letter. Present Use of Property: Mixed Use (Apartments and Restaurant) Proposed Use of Property: Mixed Use (Apartments and Restaurant) STAFF REPORT A. Public Works Issues: No Comments. B. Staff Analysis: The UU zoned property at 315 Main Street is occupied by a five (5) story mixed use building. The property is located on the east side of Main Street, between E. 3rd and E. 4th Streets. A portion of the first floor is occupied by a restaurant, Brewski's Pub. The upper floors are occupied by the Mulberry Flats apartment complex. The building is approximately 71 feet tall and 50 feet wide. The building is 140 feet deep. The remainder of the first floor is occupied by the entry area for the apartments. The applicant recently had wall signs painted on the north and south building facades, near the top front corners of the building, as noted in the attached sketches/photos. Each wall sign is approximately 20 feet by 20 feet in area; 15 feet by 20 feet for "Mulberry Flats" and 5 feet by 20 feet for "Brewski's Pub". Each wall sign occupies approximately four (4) percent of the north and south building facade areas. There were previously painted wall signs for "K-Lofts" apartments at these same locations on the building's north and south facades. However, staff can find no permit history for the signs. The sign on the north facade replaced a rather large mural which previously existed and occupied the majority of the north facade area. There is also a small amount of wall signage (window signage) for Brewski's Pub on APRIL 30, 2018 ITEM NO.: A (CON'T. Z the front (west) building facade. The Brewski's Pub wall sign is approximately 16 square feet in area. Section 36-557(a) of the City's Zoning Ordinance requires that all on -premise wall signs face required street frontage. Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance to allow the wall signs on the north and south building facades with no direct street frontage. Staff does not support the requested variance to allow wall signs without direct street frontage. Staff does not view the request as reasonable. The applicant is proposing a very large amount of wall signage (800 square feet) for the north and south building facades, which have no direct street frontage. The front building fagade (west side) allows a total of 355 square feet of wall signage for that fagade. Therefore, the applicant does not have enough allowed wall signage on the front fagade to "trade- off"for even one (1) of the two (2) wall signs without street frontage. Staff has been consistent in the past in not supporting large wall signs without direct street frontage in the downtown area. Staff believes that there is more than adequate allowed signage on the front facade of the building to identify the uses within the building, without the need for signs on the north and south facades. In addition to wall signage, projecting signage is also allowed on the front building fagade. Staff believes that the proposed wall signs without street frontage (north and south facades) are not needed and that they represent an adverse visual impact on the adjacent properties and the general area. C. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends denial of the requested variance to allow wall signs without direct street frontage. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT (January 29, 2018) The applicant was not present. There were no objectors present. Staff informed the board that the applicant had requested deferral of the item on January 26, 2018. Staff recommended approval of the deferral of the item to the February 26, 2018 agenda. There was no further discussion. The item was placed on the consent agenda and approved for deferral by a vote of 4 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT (February 26, 2018) Staff informed the Board that the applicant submitted a letter on February 9, 2018 requesting this application be deferred to the March 26, 2018 agenda. Staff supported the deferral request. The application was placed on the consent agenda and deferred to the March 26, 2018 agenda by a vote of 5 ayes, 0 noes and 0 absent. AA APRIL 30, 2018 ITEM NO.: A (CON'T.) Z-8853-A BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT (March 26, 2018) Staff informed the Board that the applicant submitted a letter on March 26, 2018 requesting this application be deferred to the April 30, 2018 agenda. Staff supported the deferral request. The application was placed on the consent agenda and deferred to the April 30, 2018 agenda by a vote of 4 ayes, 0 noes, 0 absent and 1 recusal. (Allison). Staff Update: On April 13, 2018 the applicant submitted a letter to staff with additional information and revisions to the application. The applicant notes that the front facade of the building is 85 feet — 2 inches tall, with a building width of 50 feet. This equals a front facade area of 4,258 square feet. Therefore, 425.8 square feet of wall signage will be allowed for the front, street facing fagade. The existing Brewski's sign is 16 square feet in area, leaving 409.8 square feet of available wall signage for the front fagade. The applicant proposes to transfer the available sign area to the south building fagade and retain the existing 20 foot by 20 foot Mulberry Flats/Brewski's sign (400 square feet total) on the south fagade. The existing Mulberry Flats/Brewski's wall sign on the north fagade will be removed. The applicant notes that no other wall signage will be requested for the front (west) fagade. The applicant also notes that the allowed projecting sign (12 square feet) for the front (west) building fagade may be requested at some point in the future. Staff supports the application as revised to maintain the wall sign on the south fagade, remove the wall sign from the north fagade and have no additional wall signage on the front (west) fagade. Staff feels that this is a reasonable "trade-off' of wall signage from the front building fagade to a non -street facing fagade. Staff believes the wall sign on the south building fagade will have no adverse impact on the adjacent properties or the general area. Revised Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the revised application to allow the existing wall sign on the south building fagade, with the following conditions: 1. There is to be no more than 400 square feet of wall signage on the south building fagade. 2. There is to be no additional wall signage on the front (west) building fagade. 3. There is to be no wall signage on the north building fagade. 4. A sign permit must be obtained for the wall sign on the south building facade within seven (7) days of the Board of Adjustment action, and the existing wall sign on the north building fagade must be removed within thirty (30) days of obtaining the permit for the sign on the south fagade. APRIL 30, 2018 ITEM NO.: A (CON'T. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT Rett Tucker was present, representing the application. Staff presented the application, noting the revisions supported the revised application. Z-8853-A (April 30, 2018) There were no objectors present. made by the applicant. Staff Jeff Yates asked if the sign on the south fagade were approved, would it transfer to other future occupants/owners of the building. Staff noted that the approval would be for a painted wall sign only, and that if there was a change in business name the sign could be re -painted for the new occupant, maintaining the maximum sign area approved. Rett Tucker addressed the Board in support of the application. He explained that he had worked with staff in revising the application. There was no further discussion. There was a motion to approve the revised application, as recommended by staff. The motion passed by a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays and 0 absent. The revised application was approved.