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Home My WebLink About1984-03-08 Planner Memorandum Re St. Croix Mall Sign Plan • NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS INC. MEMORANDUM TO: Oak Park Heights Mayor and City Council FROM: Alan Brixius DATE: 8 March 1984 RE: St. Croix Mall Sign Plan FILE NO: 798.02 - 83.09 At the City's directive, we have reviewed the newly submitted signage plan for the St. Croix Mall to determine if this plan is consistent with the signage plan submitted in September 1983. The newly submitted signage plan contained only the building elevations for the upper and lower malls indicating the locations and sizes of the permitted signs. These plans have not changed from what was submitted in September 1983. The written signage agreement (see Exhibit A of the attached report) was not submitted for review. This written agreement establishes the sign review process for mall signs and criteria for signage review. The original written agreement was found to be acceptable. The applicant should provide a copy of this agreement to the City Council prior to finalization of the signage plan to ensure there has been no changes in its text. Our intial review made recommendations for bringing the existing mall sign into conformance with the mall signage plan. We have attached a copy of this report for review and detailed background on the St. Croix Mall signage plan. RECOMMENDATION Based on our review of the newly submitted St. Croix Mall signage plan, we recommend approval, contingent on the applicant providing the City Council with a copy of the tenants sign agreement governing mall signs and the written provisions are consistent with the previously submitted tenant sign agreement. cc: LaVonne Wilson Lyle Eckberg Frank Leier Don Bauman 4820 minnetonka boulevard, suite 420 minneapolis, mn 55416 612/925 -9420 w NORTHWEST ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS INC. MEMORANDUM TO: Oak Park Heights Mayor and City Council FROM: James Vick DATE: 1 September 1983 RE: St. Croix Mall - Sign Plan FILE NO: 798.02 - 83.09 BACKGROUND As part of the PUD Agreement, the St. Croix Mall is required to present a sign plan. Oak Park Development Co., landlords for the upper and lower mall, have submitted a plan which will effect all tenants of these build- ings. The attached exhibits present written and graphic materials for the sign plan proposed by Oak Park Development Co. ISSUES AND ANALYSIS The conditions of the proposed plan include: 1. No signage will be allowed until approval has been granted from both Oak Park Development Co. and the City of Oak Park Heights. 2. Only tenants with an exclusive exterior entrance will be allowed signage on the exterior of the building. The number of signs is limited to one per entrance. The location of signs is limited to the wall(s) directly related to the use being identified. 3. The signs shall consist of individual raised letters with a maximum of 4 feet in height. Sign area will be determined by the length of the tenants name spelled in 4 foot letters. The first paragraph of Exhibit A specifically states that signage of any sort must first be approved. The paragraphs that follow outline the signage that is acceptable and potential for approval. With a review process by the City and Oak Park Development Co., the standards outlined can be ensured. The proposed plan presents a uniform appearance for signage around the mall. While some tenants, because of the length of their name, will be allowed sign area in excess of that allowed by the Zoning Ordinance, this situation is advantageous in that it will maintain a consistent style. 4820 minnetonka boulevard, suite 420 minneapolis, mn 55416 612/925-9420 Oak Park Heights Mayor and City Council 1 September 1983 Page Two One addition recommended for the proposed plan would be to allow a separate sign for Ward's Automotive Center. This operation is somewhat independent of the principal store, including a separate entrance. The additional sign area can be justified on this premise. The most difficult part of this sign plan will be its implementation. Since the St. Croix Mall PUD was approved several years ago, most tenants allowed signs in the proposed plan already have them in place. The mall is presently cluttered with nonconforming signs and signs which are not permitted. This excessive signing has a blighting influence on the entire mall. RECOMMENDATION The plan proposed by Oak Park Development Co., with the addition of one sign allowed for Ward's Automotive Center, is recommended for approval. While the City Council would then have the option of its strict enforcement, immediate enforcement may not be the best alternative. Shop owners with non- conforming signs will fight to keep their signs under a grandfather clause. It would be advantageous to use this sign plan to dress up the area, however. Perhaps the most equitable way to accomplish these goals will be to distinguish a level of conformance for each sign. Signs can be categorized as permitted /conforming, permitted /nonconforming, or prohibited. Any sign that is permitted by the attached sign plan should be allowed. If the existing sign is nonconforming because of area or dimension requirements, it may remain, however, any change in sign content will be required to bring the sign into conformance. Any sign not permitted by the sign plan should be removed. These signs are the main source of blight on the mall. Following is an inventory of these prohibited signs which presently exist: Upper Mall North Elevation: Hardware Hank - 2 temporary banners on building facade. - 8 temporary window signs for advertising. MGM Liquor Warehouse - 2 changeable wall signs for advertising. Snyder Bros. Drug - 2 permanent window signs. Memory Banque - 2 windows used for advertising. Ronald Jewlers - 1 60 square foot wall sign. This tenant does not have an exclusive exterior entrance. Oak Park Heights Mayor and City Council 1 September 1983 Page Three Mall Theaters - 1 45 square foot wall sign. This tenant's business is located on the southeast corner of the mall. This sign should be relocated to a wall adjacent to the business. South Elevation: St. Croix Shoe Service - 5 window signs. Ward's Automotive Center - Ward's Auto Center has a partial south elevation with a 30 square foot wall sign. This sign is in addition to what is allowed and should be removed. Lower Mall North Elevation: Golden Crown - 1 portable advertising sign on boulevard. - 1 window advertising sign. Guns - 2 windows used for signage. Video Merchants - Windows used for advertising. All of the above mentioned signs are prohibited by the Oak Park Heights Zoning Ordinance and the St. Croix Mall Sign Plan. When viewed on an individual basis, these signs seem fairly insignificant. However, as demonstrated here, there is an abundance of these "extra" signs producing a cluttered effect. The prompt removal of these signs will reflect an improved character for the entire mall. In addition to the sign plan for the upper and lower mall, the PUD Agreement requires a sign plan for all occupants of the entire St. Croix Mall PUD. It is the Developer's (Oak Park Development Co.) responsibility to provide this information. While the Developer is not expected to design a sign plan for all of these occupants, they should present an inventory in written and graphic form of the signs that are existing or proposed by these establishments. With this information, the City Council can determine the acceptability of these signs and require alterations as needed. Due to the number of prohibited signs throughout the PUD, it is urged that this part of the sign plan is strictly enforced. cc: LaVonne Wilson Lyle Eckberg Frank Leier Oak P�� 3 � 1963 K Park Demlopntent Co, Ins th DEVELOPERS 5898 Omaha Avenue North • Stillwater, Minnesota 55082 • Telephone (b 12) 439 -7810 • M W' RE: Sign Plan for St. Croix Mall ' A condition of your lease (Article 28 - Rules and Regulation) is that: Tenant covenants and agrees with Landlord that: a) No sign, advertisement, display, notice, or other lettering shall be exhibited, inscribed, painted or affixed on any part of the outside of the premises or inside, if visible from the outside, or the building of which they form a part, and no symbol, design, mark, or insignia adopted by Landlord for St. Croix Mall or the tenants therein shall be used in connection with the conduct of Tenant's business in the premises or elsewhere without, in each instance, the prior written consent of Landlord. All such signs, displays, advertisements, and notices of Tenant so approved by Landlord shall be maintained by Tenant in good and attractive condition at Tenant's expense and risk. The purpose of the following sign plan is to clarify the manner in which Oak Park Development Co., Inc. (landlord) will approve or disapprove a tenant's proposed sign plan. First and above all else the sign must meet all zoning requirements and be approved by the City of Oak Park Heights. Specifics may "be obtained by calling the City Clerk of Oak Park Heights at 439 -4439. Individual tenants shall not display seperate identification signs on the exterior of the Mall unless the tenant's business has an exclusive exterior entrance. The number of signs shall be limited to one per entrance. Said signs shall be located only on exterior walls which are directly related to the use being identified. All exterior signs should consist of individual raised letters no larger than 4' in height in a style consistent with the signs already in existence. No product signs will be allowed. Exceptions will be made in the case of trademarks, or if a hardship is identified. All signs must have written concept approval before submittion to the City. Final approval will be given in writing after approval of sign has been given by the City. Under no circumstances should construction begin until final written approval has been received from Oak Park Development. Each store will be identified within the directory signs at each public entrance. The size of each store's identification shall be in relation to the space they occupy. EXHIBIT A WRITTEN SIGN AGREEMENT r f t — aana maama HNVN 2avm4zw/ - -,�- '_. .._.__: :N011VA313 N11,ON: 73rAORWOM yonbil WLJW -- i Jr It F'l troNUp tiiow�w • �qp� r, � _ - . -. No1.11Ma3a. 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