PL MINUTES 06171986 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

-4- 1 104 square feet, where a maximum of 90 square feet would be allowed by the • 2 ordinance for a 45 foot wide business store front. The Manager indicated that 3 with the non-conforming reader board which was installed before the new Sign 4 Ordinance dictated only one sign per store, there are approximately 166 square 5 feet of signage there now. The Manager called attention the point the applicant 6 had made in the statement attached to his application that other cases existed 7 where two signs were allowed when the City granted variances for the Town and 8 Country and Cokesbury stores in the shopping-center. When the Chair commented 9 that she perceived those stores all faced major thoroughfares, the Manager showed 10 on the site plans for the Kenzie Terrace Redevelopment Project how the developers 11 envisioned Coolidge Street, which runs behind this store, might become "more 12 major" when the project is completed. 13 14 Commissioner Madden-questioned why, if the -new sign were to be installed within 15 the outlines of the existing reader board, a variance was required at all . The 16 Manager told him that because an entirely new sign with .interior' lighting, etc. 17 was to be installed, a substantial change .could be perceived to have been made 18 which would require a variance. He also told the Chair that it had only been 19 since the new Sign Ordinance had been written several years ago that stores 20 were restricted to one sign. 21 22 When Commissioner Bowerman asked Mr. . Peters if. his affirmative answer to #2 23 on the application meant he perceived he wou-ld suffer a- particular hardship if 24 he were not allowed a second sign under Section 430 of the Sign Ordinance, 25 Mr. Peters said it would not be an "extreme" hardship for him to forego the second 26 sign and he might have misunderstood what that meant when he read the letter • 27 which accompanied the application .for him to sign. Mr. Childs said he inter- 28 preted from Mr. Peters ' statement attached .to the application that the store- 29 owner considered he had a similar circumstance to other corner stores which had 30 two signs and his hardship would be that he would not be treated equitably if 31 he were denied the second sign. 32 33 Commissioner Jones stated that he perceived the sign was necessary to identify 34 a second business in the store and he noted that the 'non-conforming sign would 35 be downsized with this "better quality sign" . However, the Commissioner was 36 adamant that the sign not be lit after the store closed. 37 38 _ No one appeared to speak in opposition to the variance and the hearing was } 39 closed at 8:24 P.M. 40 41 Motion by Commissioner Jones and .seconded by Commissioner Madden to recommend the 42 Council grant a variance to the Sign Ordinance requirement for only one sign to 43 a business to Nationwide Sewing Machine, Inc. , 2922 Pentagon Drive., for a 3 foot 44 3 inch X 14 foot sign (.approximately 45 square feet) to replace an existing non- 45 conforming reader board sign on the southwest side of the store, which is 46 approximately 100 square feet, which would identify a new business to be located j 47 on the premises and operated in conjunction with the existing sewing machine 48 business in the store, with the stipulation that the sign woul.d not be lit after 49 business hours. In recommending the variance be granted, the Commission finds 50 that: 51 d • 52 1 . The new sign would substantially reduce .the square footage of the existing 53 non-conforming signage and the quality of the signage would be much improved; 54 55 2. Several stores with corner locations in that immediate shopping area had 56 previously been granted variances for similar signage;