02-12-09 Planning Comm. Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS, INC. 4800 Olson Memorial Highway, Suite 202, Golden Valley, MN 55422 Telephone: 763.231.2555 Facsimile: 763.231.2561 plan nersC?nacpla nning.com MEMORANDUM TO: Little Canada Planning Commission FROM: Stephen Grittman DATE: February 6, 2009 RE: Little Canada - St. Jude Medical Comprehensive Sign Plan FILE NO: 758.09 - 09.08 Background and Analysis St. Jude Medical is seeking an amendment to the Comprehensive Sign Plan for its property south of County Road B-2 by adding a main entrance sign to its new building, and a service entrance sign for loading and other service activities. Both signs would be located along County Road B-2. The service entrance sign is a small monument that would total about six square feet in area. The sign regulations permit such signs (up to four, four square foot signs) without separate approvals. St. Jude's property is well below this threshold currently, however this sign is part of the application package since is technically does not meet the four square foot per sign requirement. The main entrance sign is well under the size and area requirements for facilities of this size. At issue, however, is location. The applicants are seeking approval to locate the monument sign within the required five-foot setback from the right of way of County B-2. The design of the sign is a monument mounted on a lower concrete foundation. The foundation has already been poured, and is located just 0.2 feet from the right of way line. The sign itself, if constructed on the footing as proposed, would be set back about two feet, rather than the required five feet. The applicants have suggested that the proposed location is important for visibility, although they have acknowledged that the footing was poured without a clear definition of the setback requirement. There is a fence line just behind the proposed sign location, although it appears that there is some room to move the sign to the south, away from the right of way without interfering with the fence. There is also a utility pole in the immediate area that may interfere with visibility if the sign is moved.