PL MINUTES 05211985 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

c> -3- 1 denial of the request could be perceived as an undue hardship on this particular 2 merchant since similar requests for signage had recently been turned down for other 3 business establishments. Commissioner Hansen said he could not imagine the City's 4 requirements for signage had come as. a great surprise to this petitioner since 5 it is hard for him to understand how a good businessman would have invested so 6 much money in a' store without ever finding out what the City's ordinances were. 7 He also said he doubted the upgrading of the shopping center would be a reality 8 very soon. 9 to Commissioner Bjorklund indicated he was not convinced the previous sign on that 11 same building had not been- illegal frow the start. He wanted to deny any variances 12 for signage in ,the center from now on until pressures from their tenants forced 13 the center owners to do something about uniform signage. The Commissioner said 14 he resented the implication that. denying this type of variances was intended to 15 be "antibusiness and he said he was convinced the store manager could operate 16 a successful business with a smaller, quality sign. Commissioner Bjorklund said 17 he had observed signs did not make that much difference towards whether a store 18 made it or not with stores with excessive signage' go ing out of business while 19 others with a. minimum of signage succeed. 20 21 Commissioners Madden and Wagner indicated they would be unwilling to stipulate 22 in their motion that this merchant would have to conform to uniform signage if 23 it is- ever put up because they did not believe it would be fair to put the burden 24 of getting the center's signage upgraded on one merchant. 25 26 Mr. Mortice answered more questions about the sign he was proposing and told • 27 Commissioner Jones it would only be lit at night during business hours. He con- 28 cluded by telling the Commissionc!members he had-been advised not to locate in this 29 shopping center but made the decision toput his Curtis Mathes in that location 30 because he believed then and -now that he could conduct a successful business there 31 if he could just get identification. 32 33 Chair Franzese said she agreed to some extent with Commissioners Hansen and 34 Bjorklund' s objections but she perceived the store might need more than the allowed 35 signage because of its location in that particular center and she compared the 36 requested signage with the excessive signage on the hardware store in the same 37 center. She also said she viewed this an opportunity to replace an undesirable 38 sign with a quality sign. 39 40 Commissioner. Wagner's perception was that, if the City took no interest in upgrad- 41 ing the center, the conditions would probably get worse and worse and the area 42 would become a bigger eyesore than it was now.* Commissioner Bjorklund responded 43 by saying he- perceived compromising the Sign Ordinance in this case would only be 44 putting a bandaid on the sore. 45 46 Voting on the motion: 47 48 /dye: Madden, Wagner and Franzese. 49 50 Nay: Bjorklund, Hansen, and Jones. 51 • 52 Motion did not carry. 53 54 The Chair told Mr. Morticethe request would go to the Council without a Commission 55 recommendation and urged him to go to the May 28th Council meeting because it is