PL MINUTES 11191991 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Planning Commission Page 6 1 Chairman Madden said he perceived that times had changed and 2 the City is now looking at a lower tax base at Apache along 3 with a high rate of vacancies which, in turn, boils down to 4 economics and the survival of Apache. He was also concerned 5 about establishing a precedent or basing approval on Mr . 6 Cavanaugh' s credibility which he perceived had been badly 7 damaged by reversal of his 1987 letter. The Commission Chair 8 said he perceived a comprehensive sign plan from Apache ' s 9 management might be an excellent approach to the City and the 10 Planning Commission. 11 12 Commission Recommendations 13 14 Motion by Brownell, seconded by Faust, to recommend the City 15 Council grant -the request for a sign variance from the J.C. 16 Penney Company for two, 5 foot, 9 inch by 20 foot, J.C. Penney 17 signs to be mounted on the existing Apache Plaza Shopping 18 Center freestanding sign located on Silver Lake Road. Said 19 signs are to be located as proposed below the existing Apache 20 Plaza lettering and above the two Herbergers ' signs of the same 21 size. In recommending approval of the variance, the Planning 22 Commission finds the application meets the three tests 23 established by Minnesota statute and that no one appeared at 24 the hearing or contacted staff before the hearing, to speak 25 against the variance. 26 6*7 Voting on the motion: 8 29 Aye: Brownell, Faust, Gondorchin, Madden. '30 31 Nay: Werenicz, Murphy. 32 33 Motion carried. 34 35 Commissioner Murphy commented that he wouldn't expect anything 36 to be done about a comprehensive .sign plan until the next time 37 someone comes asking for further signage. Commissioner 38 Brownell agreed saying he was certain that as soon as a major 39 tenant went into the vacant space on the southwest corner of 40 the mall, the owners would be in for better identification. 41 However, he reminded the other Commissioners , that was not what 42 they had been requested to consider at this time. The 43 Commissioner added that the City is now developing a new Sign 44 Ordinance. He wondered if it might be possible to address 45 regional shopping centers and come up with a comprehensive plan 46 for signage for such a development . He perceived the ordinance 47 could apply to Apache and any other regional center which falls 48 under the same classification, taking a different approach than 49 in the past . 50 51 Commissioner Werenicz responded by pointing out that whatever 52 the City does about the pylon now would be grandfathered in in �3 any event.