11SN0185
CASE MANAGER: Jane Peterson
March 15, 2011 CPC
April 27, 2011 BS
STAFF’S
REQUEST ANALYSIS
AND
RECOMMENDATION
11SN0185
Holiday Signs c/o
AllenM. Twedt
Bermuda Magisterial District
South line of West Hundred Road
REQUEST:Conditional use planned development approval to permit exceptions to Ordinance
requirements relative to signage in a Community Business (C-3) District.
PROPOSED LAND USE:
A freestanding identification sign for business building within a project is planned.
Conditional use planned development approval is requested to allow a larger and
taller freestanding sign than allowed by current Ordinance standards.
PLANNING COMMISSIONRECOMMENDATION
RECOMMEND APPROVAL SUBJECT TO THE CONDITION AND ACCEPTANCE OF
THE PROFFERED CONDITIONS ON PAGE 2.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommend denial for the following reasons:
A.The current sign standards of the Ordinance provide adequate identification for uses
on the property.
B.Approval of this request could encourage other businesses to seek similar
exceptions, leading to proliferation of oversized signs.
(NOTE: CONDITIONS MAY BE IMPOSED OR THE PROPERTY OWNER MAY PROFFER
CONDITIONS. CONDITIONS NOTED ONLY AS “CPC” ARE RECOMMENDED BY THE
PLANNING COMMISSION.)
Ю±ª·¼·²¹ ¿ Ú×ÎÍÌ ÝØÑ×ÝÛ ½±³³«²·¬§ ¬¸®±«¹¸ »¨½»´´»²½» ·² °«¾´·½ »®ª·½»
CONDITION
(CPC)The freestanding sign shall be limited to a maximum height of forty (40) feet. (P)
(Note: This condition supersedes the height exception specified in the Textual
Statement, as referenced in Proffered Condition 1.)
PROFFERED CONDITIONS
(CPC)1.The Textual Statement dated February 25, 2011 shall be considered the
Master Plan. (P)
(Staff Note: Condition 1 supersedes the height exception noted in the
Textual Statement.)
(CPC)2.The final sign design shall be substantially consistent with the elevation
dated November 24, 2010 prepared by Charles Hampton’s A-1 Signs
Incorporated and included as part of Case 11SN0185. The sign base shall
be black in color.(P)
GENERAL INFORMATION
Location:
The request property is located on the south line of West Hundred Road, west of Interstate
95. Tax IDs 800-654-2613 and 2833.
Existing Zoning:
C-3
Size:
5 acres
Existing Land Use:
Vacant
Adjacent Zoning and Land Use:
North -C-5; Commercial
South -C-3; Vacant
East -C-3; Vacant
West -C-3 and C-5; Commercial
îïïÍÒðïèëóßÐÎîéóÞÑÍóÎÐÌ
UTILITIES; ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING; AND PUBLIC FACILITIES
This request will have no impact on these facilities.
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT):
Electronic outdoor advertising signs located adjacentto federally assisted highways, such
as State Route 10 and I-95, are subject to a VDOT permitting process. A design will be
required to be submitted through the VDOT Richmond District, Central Region Permit
Office, to be routed to the Central VDOT Office for review and evaluation. The plan is to
show the location of the sign relative to the right-of-way (and outside the appropriate
clear zone) and operational details, including lighting pattern and illumination directions
and coverage, as deemed necessary, for evaluation of the signage. Approval of signage is
not necessarily assured.
LAND USE
Comprehensive Plan:
The subject property is located within the boundaries of the Southern Jefferson Davis
Corridor Plan, which suggests the property is appropriate for commercial use.
Area Development Trends:
Area properties are zoned Community and General Business (C-3 and C-5) are developed
for commercial, office and public/semi-public uses or are currently vacant. It is anticipated
that development within the northwest and southwest quadrants of the Route 10/I-95
interchange will continue to develop for commercial uses, as suggested by the Jefferson
Davis Highway Corridorand the Southern Jefferson Davis Corridor Plans.
Zoning History:
On July 26, 2006 the Board of Supervisors, with a recommendation for denial by the
Planning Commission, approved the rezoning of a 4.1 acre tract to Community Business
(C-3) (Case 06SN0119). This case encompassed the northhalf of the subject property
now under review and properties immediately to the east. Conditions of zoning limit the
use of the property to two (2) restaurants.
On March 11, 2009 the Board of Supervisors, upon a favorable recommendation by the
Planning Commission, approved the rezoning of a 13.4 acre tract to Community Business
(C-3) (Case 09SN0146). This tract was located south of and adjacent to property zoned
with Case 06SN0119, and included the south half of the subject property now under
review.
Properties included in the 2006 and 2009 zoning cases are being developed as one (1)
project to include the subject restaurant use.
íïïÍÒðïèëóßÐÎîéóÞÑÍóÎÐÌ
Proposed Business Sign:
Currently, the Ordinance permits one (1) freestanding sign identifying a business building
within a commercial project, twenty (20) square feet in area and eight (8) feet in height. The
sign area may be increased up to twenty-five (25) percent provided such increase is for the
purpose of including changeable copy. The applicant proposes to use this permitted sign to
identify a restaurant. The sign is proposed to be 200 square feet in area, with no changeable
copy. As proffered, the applicant proposed that the sign be fifty (50) feet in height (Textual
Statement) as conceptually depicted in the attached elevation. Through their consideration of
the request, the Commission imposed a condition to limit the height to forty (40) feet
(Condition).The applicant was in agreement with this modification.
It should be noted that the current sign standards of the Ordinance also permit a freestanding
sign identifying a project. Such sign may contain up to fifty (50) square feet in area
(increased to 62.5 square feet with the incorporation of changeable copy) and fifteen (15)
feet in height. As such, an opportunity exists for one (1) or more uses located within a
project to be identified on this project sign.
Staff has identified several freestanding business signs in the immediate area of this request
that are larger than permitted by current Ordinance standards. Examples include Exxon,
Days Inn and the Clarion Hotel/Hooters, ranging in height from thirty-two (32) to sixty (60)
feet and in area from 140 to 184 square feet. For those signs that are nonconforming relative
to height and area, the Ordinance permits refacing or replacing such signage subject to
certain restrictions designed to bring these signs closer into compliance with current
Ordinance standards. Both the Days Inn and Clarion Hotel/Hooters have been reduced
accordingly. Days Inn was reduced from fifty-nine (59) to thirty-seven (37) feet in height
and from 407 to 184 square feet in area. The Clarion/Hooters, as a result of incorporating an
electronic message center, was reduced from forty-nine (49) to thirty-two (32) feet in height
and from 270 to 176 square feet in area. Should this current request be approved, there
would be no requirement under the current Ordinance to reduce the area and/or height of
this sign if, in the future, it is replaced or refaced.
CONCLUSION
The current sign standards of the Ordinance provide adequate identification for uses on the
property. Further, approval of this request could encourage other businesses to seek similar
exceptions thereby resulting in sign proliferation.
Given these considerations, denial of this request isrecommended.
ìïïÍÒðïèëóßÐÎîéóÞÑÍóÎÐÌ
______________________________________________________________________________
CASE HISTORY
______________________________________________________________________________
Planning Commission Meeting (3/15/11):
The applicant did not acceptstaff’s recommendation, but did accept the Planning
Commission’s recommendation.There was no opposition present.
Mr. Gulley expressed concern relative to a permanent increase in the sign size given that
many area nonconforming signs have been reduced insize once refaced or replaced, as
required by Ordinance.
Messrs. Bass, Brown and Waller noted concerns with the requested height and questioned
its benefit to I-95 traffic when located in close proximity to the interchange ramp.
Mr. Hassen noted thatseveral area signs were in excess of the proposed height; that
proffers provided for an attractive post design; that this location was unique given its
proximity to the interstate; and that, based upon concerns expressed by the Commission,
he would recommend a condition to limit the height to forty (40) feet.
The applicant accepted this conditioned reduction in sign height.
On motion of Mr. Hassen, seconded by Dr. Brown, the Commission recommended
approval subject to the one (1) condition and the acceptance of the two (2) proffered
conditions on page 2, as modified by the condition.
AYES: Messrs. Bass, Brown, Gulley, Hassen and Waller.
The Board of Supervisors, on Wednesday, April 27, 2011, beginning at 6:30 p.m., will take
under consideration this request.
ëïïÍÒðïèëóßÐÎîéóÞÑÍóÎÐÌ
11SN0185-1
11SN0185-2