PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Conduct the public hearing to consider a wall sign variance from Section 6-16-6:1 for the parking pavilion located at 415 S Brainard Street (NCC) - PZC 23-1-092
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Brad Iwicki, Assistant Planner
ENTITLEMENTS REQUESTED:
Approval of a variance to Section 6-16-6:1 (Special Areas of Control: Educational Campus) <https://library.municode.com/il/naperville/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT6ZORE_CH16SI_6-16-5SICOINPR> in order to install a wall sign that exceeds permissible square footage allowances on the new parking pavilion, addressed as 415 S Brainard Street, located within the North Central College campus.
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Official notice for the public hearing for PZC 23-1-092 was published in the Naperville Sun on October 29, 2023.
BACKGROUND:
The subject property is zoned CU (College/University District) and is located south of Chicago Avenue, east of Washington Street near the center of the North Central College (NCC) campus. The owner and petitioner, NCC, is constructing a new parking pavilion and wishes to install wall signage on the east circulation tower.
DISCUSSION:
Given the building is located within the NCC campus, the educational campus sign regulations as specified in Section 6-16-6:1 (Special Areas of Control: Educational Campus) of the Naperville Municipal Code are applicable to wall signs installed on the building. These regulations include a maximum permitted wall sign allowance of 32 square feet per frontage of the building. Specific to the new parking pavilion, the allowable wall signage is one, 32 square foot wall sign, placed on the parking garage’s east façade/east circulation tower facing Brainard Street and visible from Chicago Avenue.
The petitioner is requesting a variance in order to install a wall sign with a sign area of 90 square feet on the parking garage’s east circulation tower to ensure visibility and provide adequate identification of building. The building is uniquely located near the center of the NCC campus and in close proximity to several important features and amenities of the College. The east circulation tower is along the S Brainard Street frontage but is also visible from Chicago Avenue.
The Chicago Avenue and S Brainard Street intersection is 380 feet north and serves as the primary vehicular access point to the NCC campus. As such, the petitioner does not find that the allowable wall signage size provides adequate identification of the building.
The proposed sign is non-illuminated featuring cast metal lettering with a black finish. The wall sign includes North Central College, the NCC logo, date the college was established, and identify that the building is the Parking Pavilion structure. The petitioner states that the proposed signage will be visible from a distance of 225 feet, or .7 city blocks, making the signage readily identifiable to potential users. The lettering is similar in size and scale to the signage approved for the north and south facades of the NCC Health Sciences & Engineering Building via Ordinance 21-101.
Staff find the proposed wall sign is proportionate to the parking pavilion structure and with minimal impact given their non-illuminated design. Staff finds that the location and orientation of this building and east circulation tower (i.e., visible from the primary access point into the North Central College campus) supports the request by NCC to allow the size of the proposed signage to exceed the limitation set in the City of Naperville Municipal Code. Overall, staff finds that the proposed signage provides proper identification of the parking pavilion within the NCC campus.
Response to Standards
The Petitioner has provided a response to the Standards for a Variance which can be found in the attachments. Staff is in general agreement with the Petitioner’s findings and recommends adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Key Takeaways
• The owner and petitioner, NCC, requests approval of variance to Section 6-6-6:1 of the Municipal Code in order to install one wall sign per façade on the new academic building located at 415 S Brainard Street.
• Staff is in support of the sign variance request finding the sign adequately identify the building as part of the NCC campus and are proportionate to the building.