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Home My WebLink About1992-07-23 Planing Report 0 0 IN Northwest Associated Consultants, Inc. AC U R B A N P L A N N I N G D E S I G N M A R K E T R E S E A R C H PLANNING REPORT TO: Oak Park Heights Mayor and City Council FROM: Scott Richards DATE: 23 July 1992 RE: Oak Park Heights - St. Croix Mall Sign Variance FILE NO: 798.02 - 92.05 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BACKGROUND Oak Park Partners -St. Croix Mall have submitted a variance application for placement of a monument business sign on Osgood Avenue. The variance is required in that the addition of a monument sign in this area is not addressed in the sign plan adopted for the St. Croix Mall in January of 1988. Any revisions or additions to the sign plan require issuance of a variance from the City Council. Attached for reference: Exhibit A - Sign Location Exhibit B - Sign Elevation Exhibit C - Pictures of Site Exhibit D - Pictures of Site RECOMMENDATION Based on the report to follow, our office recommends that the request for a monument business sign adjacent to Osgood Avenue within the St. Croix Mall property be denied in that it does not meet the criteria for issuance of a sign variance. 5775 Wayzata Blvd. • Suite 555 • St. Louis Park, MN 55416 • (612) 595- 9636•Fax. 595 -9837 ISSUES ANALYSIS The applicants have submitted a proposal for a monument business sign sized 13 feet high by 15 feet wide. The structure would be an aluminum frame with a poured concrete base painted to match the mall building. The sign would be double faced and internally lit. The actual sign faces would be 10 X 15 feet with 150 square feet of sign face per side, for a total of 300 square feet of sign area. The sign would be located on mall property to the south of the curb cut access to the lower mall from Osgood Avenue. The sign is placed so as not to create potential conflicts with visibility for vehicles exiting or entering the mall parking lot. The purpose of the sign would be to identify specific businesses within the lower portion of the St. Croix Mall, those primarily visible and accessible from Osgood Avenue. The sign plan for the St. Croix Mall allows for only the one existing freestanding sign on the mall property. The signage allowed by the sign plan for the lower mall calls for canopy signs on the facade of the mall not to exceed a maximum area of 90 square feet or 15 percent of the facade for a single retail unit, whichever is applicable. The close proximity to Osgood Avenue of this facade and signage did not justify a deviation from the Ordinance standards, as was allowed in the upper mall area. A review of the existing allowed signage indicates that the existing canopy and the signage to be attached is highly visible from Osgood Avenue (see Exhibits C and D). When driving on Osgood Avenue and viewing the canopy from the north and south of the lower mall entrance, the sign area already allocated for this portion of the mall will be adequate to afford visibility of the businesses located there. The applicants have stated that the visibility is not adequate for the lower mall and that a separate identification sign is needed. Their reasoning is that the lower mall is not connected internally from the primary mall area and it is accessible from a separate street entrance, thus warranting a separate identification sign. They feel that a sign at the proposed location would add visibility along Osgood Avenue and assist potential customers in finding the correct entrance to this area. What they have proposed is a business sign only advertising businesses within that area of the mall. The proposed sign does not identify the area as, for instance, "The Lower St. Croix Mall ". If the Council is to allow the applicant more signage for the mall in this area, then it should be an identification sign only, and not include additional business advertising. Additionally, if an identification sign is allowed, it should be smaller than what is proposed, not to exceed 150 square feet of total sign area. 2 The Zoning Ordinance makes a provision for sign variances. The City Council serves as the Board of Adjustments and Appeal and shall make a finding of fact that an undue hardship or injustice exists if a variance were not granted. The City Council grants such variations based upon consideration of the following: 1. That particular physical surroundings, shape or topographical conditions of the specific parcel of land involved exist. The site is relatively flat and visibility of the businesses and the canopy signage is not adversely impacted by topography or physical surroundings. 2. That the condition involved is unique to the particular parcel of land involved. There are no unique conditions to this particular parcel that would warrant issuance of a variance. 3. That the purpose of the variation is not based exclusively upon a desire to increase the value of income potential of the business involved. The applicants' desire is to increase the visibility of the business that will locate in the lower mall. Adequate visibility and signage area has been previously approved for this site thus the income potential would not be necessarily increased with an additional sign. 4. That the alleged difficulty or hardship is caused by the Ordinance and has not been created by any persons presently having an interest in the parcel. No hardship or difficulty exists presently in that adequate visibility and signage is allowed for the lower mall. 5. That the granting of the variation will not be detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to other land or improvements in the neighborhood. The proposed sign will not be detrimental to the public welfare or affect other property or improvements in the area. 6. That the proposed variation will not impair an adequate supply of light and air to adjacent property, or substantially increase the congestion of the public streets or interfere with the function of the police and fire departments of the City. The proposed sign will not impair or interfere with the right of other property owners or affect the safety factors of police and fire departments. 3 CONCLUSION A hardship or difficulty does not exist in this situation to justify issuance of a variance as requested. The goal of the sign plan for the St. Croix Mall has been to reduce and minimize the number and overall square footage of sign area on the mall property. Granting this variance for additional business signage may only open doors to additional requests for variation, thus reducing the original intent and success in achieving a more attractive area around the St. Croix Mall. As stated before, the Council may choose to allow additional identification signage for the St. Croix Mall in this area. Staff is willing to work with the applicant in developing plans for the addition of identification signage. pc: LaVonne Wilson Mick Kaehler Mark Vierling Brad Henning 4 L..0 LLJ C D� 109 CARS a a `� x HERBERGER S • E51,5 00 eq f t:TOT9 ��.�� (�.. cr o� to • MONUMENT N J 2 :7 C A R SIGN LOCATION f 135 CARS i• r EXHIBIT A . . MO UM' L' - �)IOKI G S C CIti MA I o� J , Oo b le - GCCJ in,, ! .� ✓ Q : Dp +� Sp (a r q rr Red b oc ll round Dug D � A�v.r+iwkvr� �..•�iac�.'7, i t m r x oo lA .As. I .. Y. — • 0 F NA Northwest Associated Consultants, Inc. C U R B A N P L A N N I N G r D E S I G N - M A R K E T R E S E A R C H TRANSMITTAL RECORD DATE: 23 July 1992 TO: LaVonne Wilson Oak Park Heights FROM: Scott Richards VIA: ( ) Mail ( ) Pick -Up ( ) Delivery ( X) Fax NUMBER OF PAGES INCLUDING COVER: 5 QTY OF DATED - DESCRIPTION 1 Planning Report - Revised 7/23/92 St. Croix Mall Sicnve REMARKS: LaVonne: Please copy Mick Kaehler on this revised report. Thank you! RE: Oak Park Heights - St. Croix Mall Sign Variance JOB NO. 798.02 - 92.05 5775 Wayzata Blvd. - Suite 555 - St. Louis Park, MN 55416 • (612) 595 - 9636 -Fax. 595 -9837