CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT

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Alan White
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1 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT DATE: FEBRUARY 6, 2006 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: MEETING DATE: HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS TOM BARTLETT, CITY PLANNER ISIDRO FIGUEROA, ASSOCIATE PLANNER ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION NO APPROVING CUP , SGN AND VAR FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A 25 FOOT-HIGH MONUMENT SIGN WITHIN A DESIGNATED SCENIC CORRIDOR AND CALABASAS ROAD DISTRICT LOCATED AT CALABASAS ROAD. FEBRUARY 15, 2006 SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: Following the Planning Commission s recommendation, staff recommends that the City Council adopt City Council Resolution No (Attachment A), approving CUP , SGN and VAR ; a request to construct a 25 foot-high monument sign within a designated Scenic Corridor and allow for internal illumination of the proposed sign within the Calabasas Road District located at Calabasas Road. BACKGROUND: Project Background The aforementioned project was presented at the December 8 th, 2005 and January

2 12 th, 2006, Planning Commission public hearings. On the December 8 th Planning Commission public hearing, staff presented two design options for the proposed 25 foot-high monument sign along the front entrance of an existing BMW auto dealership located within the Calabasas Road District and Scenic Corridor. Please refer to site plan (Exhibit C). Option A displayed the proposed monument sign affixed to the ground with a single 19 wide aluminum frame attached to a concrete base extending to the outmost edges of the sign panels. Please refer to Attachment D. Additionally, the proposed monument sign would display double sided advertising panels, which are situated entirely above and between the outermost edges of the supporting stone base, thereby conforming to the monument sign definition found in section of the Calabasas Municipal Code. Please refer to Attachment E. The applicant provided an alternative design during to the Planning Commission public hearing. The alternative design, herein referred to as Option B, displayed the same design characteristics as Option A; however, Option B displayed a second support to the opposite side of the proposed monument sign. Therefore, a double support monument sign was presented and reviewed by the Planning Commission at the public hearing. Please refer to Attachment F. Accordingly, the sign panels would be between both supports and would retain the same sign area, 150 square feet (300 double-sided), as displayed by Option A. The Planning Commission found that the design of Option B was more appropriate for the Scenic Corridor than the design offered by Option A. The applicant originally proposed to illuminate the monument sign internally; however, pursuant to Section of the Calabasas Municipal Code only halo or external illuminated signs are allowed within the Calabasas Road District. Option B proposed exterior lighting as part of the amended project description in order to conform with the sign requirements for the Calabasas Road District. The Planning Commission indicated that it preferred internal illumination as originally proposed by the applicant, which emits an opaque light, similar to a halo light, with portions of the corporate logo illuminated while the rest of the sign panel would be unlit. The Planning Commission recommended that the applicant apply for a variance to incorporate internal illumination of this type instead of the proposed exterior illumination for the monument sign. On the Planning Commission public hearing of January 12 th, 2006, staff presented an amended project, which included a request for a variance to allow for internally illuminated monument sign within th Calabasas Road District. The Planning Commission reviewed the project and agreed with staff s recommendation that the project met the prescribed findings and recommended approval of the project to the City Council. Please refer to Attachment B (Planning Commission Resolution ) and Attachment G ( Planning Commission minutes for the December 8, 2005 and January 12,2006 public hearing meetings). 2

3 Project Description The applicant is proposing to construct a 25 foot-high monument sign along the front entrance of an existing BMW dealership located within the Calabasas Road District and Scenic Corridor. The proposed monument sign is affixed to the ground with two 19 wide aluminum frames attached to a concrete base extending to the outmost edges of the sign panels. Please refer to Attachment F. Additionally, the monument sign proposes to display double sided advertising panels, which are situated, in its entirety, above and between the outermost edges of the supporting stone base as indicated in the monument sign definition found in section of the Calabasas Municipal Code. The proposed monument sign includes two white aluminum sign faces with the BMW and Mini Cooper corporate logos displayed on the first two panels. The remaining third panel will display the business identification, including the address, using polished stainless steel lettering. The proposed sign panels will display lit corporate logos, which will an opaque light similar to halo; therefore, staff is of the opinion that the proposed signage fulfils the intent of the Code requirement for halo lighting. The monument sign is proposed to total approximately 150 (300 double-sided) square feet in sign area and will be situated within a landscaped area pursuant to Section (B)(3). The Calabasas Municipal Code allows for businesses along the Calabasas Road District to erect 20 foot monument signs with an approval of a conditional use permit. Additionally, the code allows for the City Council to approve a 25 foot high monument sign following review and consideration from the Planning Commission. DISCUSSION / ANALYSIS: Project Issues: Internal Illumination Pursuant to Section of the Calabasas Municipal Code all signage within the Calabasas Road District shall be either halo or externally illuminated. The proposed monument sign calls for the corporate logos (BMW & MINI) to be internally illuminated. However, the proposed illumination will light only portions of the corporate logos, leaving the back elements of the logos to appear unlit. Additionally, the white aluminum panels will remain unlit as seen in Attachment H. If the applicant were otherwise required to halo light the proposed sign panels, the corporate logos would be either illegible or fragmented to a point of distortion, which would potentially create a First Amendment violation. 3

4 An alternative method of illumination that the applicant proposed to utilize for Option B was to incorporate external illumination, which is in accordance with Section of the Calabasas Municipal Code. During the December 8 th public hearing the Planning Commission expressed concern that the exterior lighting would be more detrimental to the Scenic Corridor than the proposed internal illumination. Staff is of the opinion that the proposed internal illumination meets the intent of the code since the internal lighting emits a low-level opaque light similar to that of a halo. By installing external illumination the entire monument sign would be lit, as opposed to only the logos with internal illumination. The proposed internal illumination method would be more aesthetically pleasing and beneficial to the Scenic Corridor. Additionally, staff believes that the proposed illumination meets the intent of the code in regards to halo lit requirement since, only the logos would be illuminated and the not the entire panel. Therefore, the Planning Commission recommended that the applicant apply for a variance to incorporate internal lighting for the proposed monument sign. Fee Wavier The applicant originally proposed an internally illuminated monument sign, which emits an opaque light, similar to a halo light, with portions of the corporate logo illuminated while the rest of the sign panel would be unlit. Staff was of the opinion that the proposed signage fulfilled the intent of the Code requirement for halo lighting; however, after careful analysis it was decided that such interpretation could set a precedent that could have a detrimental impact on the Scenic Corridor. Therefore, the applicant amended the project proposal to include external lighting, which is an allowed method of illumination for signage within the Calabasas Road District. After reviewing the proposed method of illumination the Planning Commission recommended that the applicant seek approval of a variance to incorporate internal illumination of this type (halo-like) instead of the proposed exterior illumination for the monument sign. Staff is of the opinion that the applicant should not bear the cost of the variance since the proposal was code compliant to begin with and the Planning Commission recommended that the applicant seek a variance, even though the applicant proposed a method of illumination that is allowed within the Calabasas Road District. Project Issues: Architectural Design and Scenic Corridor The proposed project was reviewed by the City s Design Review Panel on September 23, The Design Review Panel felt that the design of the proposed monument sign was in conformance with both the existing building architecture and Scenic Corridor. Additionally, the Design Review Panel felt that the choice of colors and materials for the proposed monument sign are consistent with the Scenic Corridor Design Guidelines. The Design Review Panel recommended approval of the design of the monument sign to the Planning Commission with no design recommendations. 4

5 FINDINGS: The findings required for the requested conditional use permit, sign permit and variance, are contained within Resolution No (Attachment A). Staff believes that the project, as designed and conditioned in the resolution, meets the required findings for all three permits. REQUESTED ACTION: Staff recommends that the City Council take the following actions: 1) Adopt City Council Resolution No approving CUP , SGN and VAR ATTACHMENTS: A - City Council Resolution No B - Planning Commission Resolution No C - Site Plan D - Sign Elevation Option A E - Monument Sign Definition F - Sign Elevation Option B G- Planning Commission Minutes (December 8, 2005 & January 12, 2006 public hearings) H- Night Photos I- Sign Color Sample Board (Available at the meeting) 5

P.C. RESOLUTION NO

P.C. RESOLUTION NO. 08-423 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF CALABASAS TO ADOPT A SIGN PROGRAM (PL0800543) AND APPROVE A VARIANCE (PL0800544) FOR INTERNAL ILLUMINATION OF THE MERCEDES-BENZ