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3 • 1 Staff Report 2 In his November 9th memorandum, Mr. Childs had reported the City's 3 policy of allowing a square footage bonus if the sign is. shorter than 4 five feet, which was not true in this case. He had also indicated that 5 the ordinance allowed a sign to be as tall as 8 feet if it is landscaped 6 but said this would not allow the sign copy to be larger than 32 7 square feet. The City Manager had also given arguments both for and 8 against the variance saying there might be justification for granting 9 the variance because of the building's location and size, which could 10 potentially result in several tenants needing identification. The City 11 Manager could perceive no hardship because the ordinance allows one 12 wall sign up to 150 square feet for each tenant and the height of the 13 building and its configuration would make such wall signs very visible. 14 The memorandum suggested a compromise variance might be worked out with 15 the applicants whereby a smaller ground sign could be granted in lieu 16 of wall signs of the size permitted each tenant. 17 Proponent - Charles Youngquist of R. L. Johnson Co. 18 The management company representative responded to the staff memorandum 19 by saying there were almost two separate buildings in that structure 20 with a medical administrative services company, StrategiCare, Inc. 21 utilizing all the space in the tower section and his firm expecting 4Eto lease the south wing to possibly four other companies which made medical devices in the labs Medtronics left behind. He argued that a 24 sign as large as his company had proposed would be necessary to carry 25 copy identifying StrategiCare, Inc. and the four tenants as well as the 26 building name and the name of his firm with its telephone number. Mr. 27 Youngquist said he doubted the 4 X 4 foot sign the City allowed could. 28 ever carry all that copy and still be read at speeds of 55 miles an hour 29 from Highway 88, which is at least 40 feet away from the building. He 30 also: 31 *conceded that Commissioner Hansen had been right when he said were 32 not "drive-by businesses like McDonald's, etc." , but rather that the 33 primary amount of traffic would be either clients or delivery truck 34 drivers, who although they might never have been there before, knew 35 pretty much the location and type of building they were looking for; 36 *told Commissioner. Hansen the size of the sign had been based on the 37 sign company's previous experience with the size required for this much 38 copy and the speeds of drivers expected to be looking for the building. 39 He indicated the StrategiCare logo dictated some of the size and said 40 because his company is located in Golden Valley, they perceived a 41 need for the manager's name and phone number on the copy; 42 *indicated Johnson Investment had concluded it was better to carry all 43 the names on the sign rather than to have them plastered all over the building;