PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Conduct the public hearing to consider a variance to Section 6-16-5:2.2 (Ground Signs) for the proposed ground sign at 1479 W Ogden Avenue (Porsche) - PZC 23-1-066
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Brad Iwicki, Assistant Planner
ENTITLEMENTS REQUESTED:
1. A variance to Section 6-16-5:2.2 (Ground Signs) to allow for the installation of an approximately 20-foot-tall ground sign.
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Official notice for the public hearing for PZC 23-1-066 was published in the Naperville Sun on September 3, 2023.
BACKGROUND:
The petitioner is EFN Naperville Property, LLC., 1 Oakbrook Terrace, Suite 600, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, 60181. The subject property is located at 1479 W Ogden Avenue and consists of 4.345 acres to be improved with the Napleton Porsche Service Center and associated parking lot with frontage along W Ogden Avenue. The property is zoned I-Industrial District.
DISCUSSION:
The petitioner requests approval of a variance for a ground sign- advertising the Napleton Porsche Service Center. Details regarding the proposed sign are outlined below.
The subject property, on the west side of Ogden Avenue and south of the BNSF Railway, is vacant and currently does not feature any signage. Per the petitioner, it is situated in close proximity to an underpass, limiting the property’s visibility for vehicles traveling southbound on Ogden.
Section 6-16-5:2.2 (Ground Signs) of the Naperville Municipal Code limits the maximum ground sign height to 10 feet. The proposed ground sign is approximately 20 feet tall and is planned for installation along W Ogden Avenue at the southern portion of the lot. The ground sign complies with the other applicable sign regulations in terms of square footage, setbacks, deign, illumination and landscaping. It is a monument style sign with a white aluminum sheet base and structure that is characterized by a molded Porsche crest and text that reads “SERVICE”, which will both be internally illuminated. The proposed sign will have the address number included near the base as indicated by the petitioner.
The petitioner indicates that the taller, more visible sign will help ensure vehicles traveling southbound on Ogden Avenue see the curb cut providing access to the property after passing under the BNSF Railway. Additionally, they have provided a photo exhibit to support the variance request. This exhibit displays several automobile dealership monument signs in the surrounding area, all with an approximate height of 20 feet.
Staff is supportive of the variance requested due to the aesthetic quality proposed for the sign, including the internal illumination of the crest and abundant 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.
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 a ground sign on the subject property to exceed permissible signage allowances in height. Staff supports the requested variance.