CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Pass the ordinance approving a variance related to the proposed ground signs at 1507 W Ogden Avenue (Cadillac of Naperville) - PZC 23-1-018
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Adam Beaver, AICP Candidate
ENTITLEMENTS REQUESTED:
A variance to Section 6-16-5:2.2 (Ground Signs) to allow for the installation of two 20-foot-tall ground signs each with an area of approximately 101 square feet.
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
The Planning and Zoning Commission considered PZC 23-1-018 on April 19, 2023 and recommended approval of the request (approved 8-0). Staff concurs.
BACKGROUND:
The subject property is located at 1507 W Ogden Avenue and consists of an approximately 6.78-acre dealership and associated parking lot with frontage along Ogden Avenue and Quincy Avenue. The property is zoned B3 General Commercial District.
DISCUSSION:
The petitioner requests approval of a variance for two ground signs advertising the Cadillac of Naperville dealership. Additional details regarding the sign proposed are outlined below.
Along Ogden Avenue, there are two existing 22 foot tall ground signs that are 92 square feet and 137 square feet in area located along dealership’s frontage. The existing signs are currently non-conforming signs in terms of height and area. Section 6-16-5:2.2 (Ground Signs) of the Naperville Municipal Code limits the maximum ground sign height to 10 feet and the maximum sign area to 45 square feet for this property. The proposed new signs will decrease the dealership’s sign height from 22 feet to 20 feet. Each new sign will have an area of approximately 101 square feet, which results in the overall ground signage area for the property decreasing by approximately 27 square feet.
The petitioner proposes the new signs as part of the dealership’s larger updates with the proposed signs featuring a wider base that complies with the code’s requirements for a monument style sign as outlined in Section 6-16-2 (Definitions). The proposed signs will have the address number included at the bottom of each sign as indicated in the petition.
Staff is supportive of the variance requested due to the aesthetic enhancements proposed for the sign, including the increased sign base width and the addition of landscaping. Prior to 2017, car dealerships were permitted to have signage that could be twice as tall as any other commercial establishment. Sign code amendments completed in 2017, which were aimed at creating a “content neutral sign code” per Supreme Court direction, eliminated these additional allowances, and car dealership sign regulations are now consistent with all other commercial establishments. Staff finds that the signage proposed for the subject property is generally consistent with the character of pre-existing car dealership signage in the Corridor and therefore supports the sign as proposed.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Zoning Variance can be found in the attachments. Upon review, staff is in general agreement with the variance findings and recommends adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Planning and Zoning Commission Action
The Planning and Zoning Commission conducted the public hearing to consider PZC 23-1-018 on April 19, 2023. No members of the public provided testimony. After limited discussion, the Planning and Zoning Commission closed the public hearing and voted to recommend approval of the petitioner’s request (approved 8-0). Staff concurs with the recommendation.
Key Takeaways
The petitioner requests approval of a variance from Section 6-16-5:2.2 (Ground Signs) of the Naperville Municipal Code to permit two ground signs on the subject property to exceed permissible signage allowances in height and area. Staff supports the requested variance.
FISCAL IMPACT:
N/A