PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Conduct the public hearing to consider sign variances for wall signs proposed for Target (PZC 19-1-105) located at 1951 W. Jefferson Avenue.
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Scott Williams, AICP
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Official notice for the public hearing for PZC 19-1-105 was published in the Daily Herald on June 29, 2020.
BACKGROUND:
The property is located on the southeast corner of Glacier Park Avenue and Route 59, with a common street address of 1951 W. Jefferson Avenue. The property is approximately 15.22 acres, and is improved with a 171,195 square-foot “Super Target” building. Associated surface parking is located on three sides of the building. The property has frontage on three streets: Route 59, Glacier Park Avenue, and Jefferson Avenue. The main elevation faces Route 59 located to the west of the property.
DISCUSSION:
As part of a façade improvement effort to meet national branding standards for a high-trafficked store, the petitioner proposes additional wall signage area on the north, west, and south facades of the building facing the three adjacent streets. Per Municipal Code Section 6-16-5:2.1.1, wall signage is permitted up to a maximum sign area of one and one-half square feet for each linear foot of façade, not to exceed a total of 300 square feet. Due to the size of the “Super Target” building and length of the facades, the maximum of 300 square feet applies on the three sides. The branding standards also include the addition of red EIFS accent areas placed around the Target logos and lettering which has been included in the total area because it is considered part of the signage. The following table summarizes the proposed sign areas:
*The existing “CVS Pharmacy” sign is considered a secondary business sign and does not factor into the allowable sign area for Target.
Staff has worked closely with the petitioner to refine their request by reducing the amount of EIFS to accent material levels and align the corresponding façade improvements with the intent and regulations of the Building Design Guidelines. The placement and percentage of EIFS on each elevation falls well below the threshold for primary material with the main elevation having a total EIFS percentage of 15%. Additionally, staff would like to note that the existing masonry facades are already painted; per the Building Design Guidelines, existing painted masonry is permitted to be repainted.
The building’s main façade is located over 470 feet away from Route 59, and the signs will help identify the business to passing motorists with an overall visual impact similar to a building on nearby outlot set much closer to the roadway. The wall area of the west elevation is 14,690 square feet which allows for the four proposed signs and EIFS accent areas to be appropriately spaced while also accounting for two entrances to different sub-areas within the store.
The north elevation has the smallest setback of 120 feet from an adjacent street (Glacier Avenue), and the amount of EIFS highlighting the Target logo has been appropriately reduced to the smallest percentage of 7.6% out of a wall area of 9,380 square feet. This results in the smallest variance being sought out of the three elevations. The north elevation primarily faces a neighboring multi-tenant shopping center. The sign area placement at the northwest area of the façade is closest to the access point at this end of the property for traffic turning from Route 59 and driving several hundred feet down Glacier Avenue.
The south elevation has a distance separation of 200 feet at the closest point with Jefferson Avenue. The setback drastically increases the further east along Jefferson to a maximum of approximately 375 feet. This area is occupied by a detention pond and significant landscape buffering. The elevation is the same size as the north one, but the EIFS area highlighting the Target logo has been appropriately scaled with a modest increase to 8.7% by comparison. This elevation also faces large-scale, multi-tenant shopping centers to the south.
Staff finds that the proposed signage, while larger than permitted, allows for clear identification of the subject business setback considerable distances from the adjacent streets. The proposed wall sign areas should have little to no impact on adjacent multi-tenant shopping center properties and are compatible with signs in the Route 59 corridor. The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Variance are included in the Development Petition. Staff agrees with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission
Key Takeaways
§ The petitioner requests approval of sign variances to construct wall signs on the north, west and south façades of the building located at 1951 W. Jefferson Avenue.
§ Staff recommends approval of the sign variances due to the size of the facades, increased setbacks, and compatibility with the Route 59 corridor.