PL PACKET 04051989 - Laserfiche WebLink

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-10- 1 been permitted a pylon sign just because they had retained two gas pumps from th� 2station which had previously operated on that site. Mr. Johnson said he didn't 3think his business was that much different. He cited the need for more exposure 4 because of a direct competition from both the Zantigo Restaurant and Amoco and 5said another City fast food establishment, Kentucky Fried Chicken, had a building 6 much closer to the street where it could be seen more easily than his. 7 8 Mr. Johnson stated that the Mobil station pylon sign next door visually blocked 9 his sign and he said he expected the view of any ground sign would also be 10 blocked by cars parked at the station. The restaurant owner told the Commissioners 11 his existing roof sign which he now proposed to erect on a 20 foot pole was 12actually smaller than he would be allowed under the ordinance. Mr. Johnson con- 13cluded by saying he had always tried to be a good neighbor by keeping his property 14,up, remodeling the 'restaurant, and cleaning the trash picked up. Mr. Childs said 15it was true that Hardees would be allowed 150 feet of wall signage but he told 16 the petitioner the Sign Ordinance does not allow any free standing signs for 1 7 commercial establishments, which is why even a ground sign of the same dimensions 18 would require a variance. 19 20 Chester Krumm of the St. Anthony Townhomes across Silver Lake Road, indicated he 21would like the Hardees sign to stay right where it was . However, he acknowledged 2 2 the Townhome Association had also been allowed a ground sign although it had taken 23a good number of meetings before the sign was finally approved. He was told the 24final product had been one which more closely resembled what the City wanted than 25any other in St. Anthony. However, when Mr. Krumm was asked whether he opposed 26 the sign, he offered no opposition. 27 0 2 8 Commissioner Wagner told Mr. Johnson he was a regular Hardees customer and he 29 wasn't at all certain all the restaurant patrons were there because of last 30 moment decisions, but, rather it might be more accurateto say one in ten customers 31hadn't planned to eat there in the first place. The Commissioner said he certainly 32 didn't think the gas station would offer any competition for the type of food 33 Hardees serves and he doubted that the Mobil sign prevented drivers from seeing 34 the restaurant in time to stop if they wanted to. Commissioner Wagner said he 35perceived there was little justification for a pylon sign in that location and, 36in his own opinion, a "classier, groundhugging sign would be just as effective" . 37 38 The Chair agreed, saying there are residences across from the restaurant whose 39owners might not want to look at a tall pylon sign from their windows. 40 41 Commissioner Bowerman told the restaurant owners gas stations had been given the 42 privilege of identifying their brand names on pylon signs long before-he was on 43 the Planning Commission, but he did not perceive they had been given -the right 44 to advertise the food they sold in the station in the same manner. 45 :6 The hearing was closed at 10:00 P.M. for the Commissioners to develop a recom- 4 7 mendation to the Council . During the process, Commissioner Madden disagreed with 4 8 Commissioner Bjorklund's specifying the type of materials to be used in the planter 49 base, saying there had been similar signs in the City which had not been con- 50structed in the same manner. However, the Commissioner voted for the final motion 31which contained that specification. 52 5 3 After the vote on the following was taken, Mr. Johnson thanked the Commissioner 54and indicated he would have the architect draw up plans for the sign which he ,: would bring to Mr. Childs before the sign is installed in the spring :