PL MINUTES 11191985 - Laserfiche WebLink

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-4- 1 Chair Franzese indicated she shared his concerns about setting a precedent, but • 2 also agreed with Commissioner Bjorklund that .this was a case where similar businesses 3 had to be treated equally. She was however, concerned whether the question related 4 to hardship could be answered affirmatively by the applicant and Commissioner 5 Bjorklund stated that he perceived that hardship had already been acknowledged 6 when the TCF sign was allowed. 7 8 Motion by Commissioner Bjorklund and seconded by Commissioner Wagner to recommend 9 that the Council grant the St. Anthony National Bank, 2401 Lowry Avenue N..E. , the 10 variance to the City Sign Ordinance which would allow them to erect the 9 square 11 foot free standing, monument-type sign they proposed at the northeast corner of 12 their bank building which would carry the words "Instant Cash (,Cirrus)" on it, 13 as illustrated in the sketch indluded in the November 19th Commission agenda. 14 packet (to be initialed by the Chair) . 15 16 In recommending the variance be granted, the Planning Commission finds that: 17 18 1 . No objections to the sign -had been expressed at either the Commission hearing 19 or to staff prior to the hearing; 20 21 2. The sign would be sited in an inoffensive, recessed location next to the bank 22 entrance and not adjacent to the street, and would be generally small in size; 23 24 3. Precedents had already been established for granting similar variances to 25 other lending institutions in the City, namely, Twin City Federal and Midwest 26 Federal Savings and Loan Associations; and • 27 28 4. The three questions required to be answered affirmati-vely by the petitioner 29 had been done so in general terms by this applicant. 30 31 Before the vote was taken, Commissioner Bowerman indicated that he was impelled 32 to speak against the motion in spite of his own mixed feelings, because he con- 33 tinued to perceive (1 ) that the City was in a major redevelopment phase of the 34 Kenzie Terrace area which, in his own opinion, could be adversely affected by the 35 precedent being set, and (2) that some difference could be perceived in the re- ' 36 lationships between the precedent set for this bank, which is more involved with a 37 residential setting, as opposed to a more commercially oriented, Silver Lake Road 38 location for the Twin City Federal facility, across from Apache Plaza, Hardees, 39 Goodyear, and NAPA Parts. On the other hand; Commissioner Bowerman indicated, he 40 recognized the positive side of the issue would be that, by granting the variance, 41 the City would be providing a good customer service for the community. 42 43 Commissioner Bjorklund indicated that, if it weren't for the fact that the 44 St. Anthony National Bank sign would. be -so inoffensive, as compared to the TCF 45 sign, he might be inclimed to agree with Commissioner Bower.man' s conclusions. 46 47 Chair Franzese said that, because the sign would be so "conservatively understated", 48 she would be inclined to vote for the variance. 49 50 Commissioner Wagner agreed, saying ,he`believed the bank's community service should 51 outweigh the negatives in the proposal . 52 53 Voting on the motion: 54 55 Aye: Bjorklund, Wagner, Hansen, and Franzese.