07-10-2014 Planning Comm. Agenda

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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 planners@nacplanning.com MEMORANDUM TO: Little Canada Planning Commission FROM: Stephen Grittman DATE: July 3, 2014 RE: Little Canada — Sign Setback Variance — 219-223 Little Canada Rd FILE NO: 758.09 — 14.15 Background and Analysis The owners of the office building at 219-223 Little Canada Road is seeking a variance to the sign setback requirements for a new monument sign to be located adjacent to their driveway access to Little Canada Road. The required setback for all freestanding signage is 5 feet from the property line. The applicant proposes to construct the sign with a zero setback due to concerns over visibility at this intersection. The applicant notes that there are a number of conditions in the area that make a sign meeting the setback impractical for their purposes. These include the following: • Existing trees and adjacent Porterhouse parking lot obscure visibility. • Narrow frontage and multiple driveways confuse access. • Building setback results in lack of building visibility from Little Canada Road. The applicant further notes that existing grades result in vehicles leaving the site to pull out over the sidewalk to check oncoming traffic before entering Little Canada Road. With this condition, the reduced setback for their proposed sign would not create any new visibility concerns for existing traffic. When reviewing variances, the City is required to find that the proposed use is a reasonable one for the property, taking the intent of the ordinance and surrounding neighborhood conditions into consideration. In addition, the City must find that there are practical difficulties that are unique to this property that would interfere with using the property in that reasonable manner.