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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 08_DR-23-01_59 Garden Street_EMS#DR-23-01 1 CITY OF SOUTH BURLINGTON DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ZONING SOUSA SIGNS, LLC – 59 GARDEN STREET MASTER SIGNAGE PERMIT #DR-23-01 FINDINGS OF FACT AND DECISION Design review application #DR-23-01 of Sousa Signs, LLC, hereafter referred to as the applicant, to amend a previously approved Master Signage Permit (MSP). The amendment consists of allowing beige/ivory and orange as primary colors and green and blue as secondary colors, 59 Garden Street. The Development Review Board held a public hearing on February 7th, 2023. The applicant was represented by Jason Gagnon. Based on the plans and materials contained in the document file for this application, the Development Review Board finds, concludes, and decides the following: FINDINGS OF FACT 1. The applicant, Sousa Signs, LLC, seeks to amend a previously approved Master Signage Permit (MSP) #DR-13-04 for the properties at 59 Garden Street and 200 & 222 Dorset Street. 2. The amendment consists of allowing beige/ivory and orange as primary colors and green and blue as secondary color. 3. The owner of record of the subject property is William Scholle. 4. The application was received on January 13, 2023. 5. The applicant submitted drawings of the proposed wall and free-standing signage dated December 16, 2022; a photo showing a typical wall sign location; and a narrative describing the range of sign characteristics they would like approval for. 6. The property lies within the City Center Sign District. SIGN ORDINANCE Section 6: City Center Sign District of the South Burlington Sign Ordinance reads in part that the Development Review Board must consider the following standards: (1) Consistent Design: the design of a sign shall consider and be compatible and harmonious with the design of buildings on the property and nearby. The design of all signs on a property shall promote consistency in terms of color, graphic style, lighting, location, material and proportions. The subject property has two buildings – one of which is presently occupied by a Trader Joe’s, and one of which is presently occupied by Eastern Mountain Sports. The Trader Joe’s signage was approved as part of #DR-13-04, the most recently approved Master Sign Permit for this site. As part of this application, the applicant is proposing a new sign for Eastern Mountain Sports to be installed in the existing free-standing sign that serves both buildings at this site. The applicant is also proposing two wall signs on the building, which is the same number of wall signs that #DR-23-01 2 Trader Joe’s presently has. The lettering approved as part of #DR-13-04 includes all fonts and font types. Internal illumination is limited to individual channel letters or graphics only; the bodies of all signs must be opaque. The applicant is proposing to adhere to both standards as part of this application. (2) Promote City Center Goals: signs shall be designed and located in a manner which reinforces and respects the overall stated goals of the sign district and City Center Plan, including a high aesthetic quality and pedestrian orientation. The applicant is proposing an 8-square foot free-standing sign at roughly torso height in a pedestrian-oriented location on the sidewalk to the south of the subject property. (3) Color and Texture: the color and texture of a sign shall be compatible and harmonious with buildings on the property and nearby. The use of a maximum of three (3) predominant colors is encouraged to provide consistent foreground, text and background color schemes. The applicant is proposing to use only three colors in the design both wall signs, and those same three colors on a green background in the design of the free-standing sign. The applicant is proposing to add beige/ivory and orange to the allowable color scheme as primary colors and to add green and blue to the allowable color scheme as secondary colors. The previously approved primary colors include red, white, and blue; and the previously approved secondary colors include black, brick red, silver, bronze, and gold. 1. Staff recommends that the Board discuss whether the proposed total of five primary colors and eight secondary colors continues to meet this criterion and consider eliminating colors proposed to be un-used from this Master Signage Permit. (4) Materials Used: signs shall be designed and constructed of high-quality materials complimentary to the materials used in the buildings to which the signs are related. The applicant is proposing to add an acrylic freestanding sign to the existing free-standing sign base, which is made of brick, and to construct wall signs using acrylic and aluminum. The previously approved allowed materials include only those which are of a high quality, study and suitable, weather-resistant, very commonly used, and appropriate for the district. The Board finds this criterion met. Section 8(d) reads in part that the Board must consider the following: (2) Applicants are strongly encouraged to specify parameters that will lead over time to creating a strong consistency of shape, foreground and background color scheme, typeface, size, and installation in order to ensure that all signage on a property is in accordance with the goals of the City Center Sign District. (3) All Master Signage Permit applications shall specify how one or more of these graphic elements will be used to relate all of the signs to each other visually. (4) Applicants may request a review and approval of a range of potential sizes for individual signs, so that an application for an individual sign of approved materials, color and design that is within an approved size range will require only approval of the Code Officer. Consistency within the signage plan is maintained by locating the sign in an analogous location to other signs on the property. The proposed free-standing sign will share a base with the existing free-standing sign on the property, and the proposed wall signs will be placed above the #DR-23-01 3 primary entrances to the building, just as the wall signs on the other buildings on this property are. This does not represent a change to the previous approval for the property. Section 10(c) addresses standards specifically for wall signs within the City Center Sign District: In the Dorset Street/City Center Sign district, wall signs may not project above the roof or parapet of a building nor below the top of any first floor doorway unless permitted through the design approval process. The applicant is not proposing any signage to project above the roof or parapet nor below the top of the first-floor doorway. Section 21(e) pertains to lighting: (e) In the Dorset Street/City Center Sign District, internally illuminated signs shall utilize opaque backgrounds and translucent letters, logos and/or graphics, so as to ensure that the lettering, logos and/or graphics are illuminated rather than the background. Translucent backgrounds utilizing dark colors may be used with white, clear or other light translucent letters, logos and/or graphics, provided the Design Review Committee determines that the effect will be consistent with the intent of this provision. The applicant has indicated that the free-standing sign is proposed to be opaque with backlighting, and that the wall signs will be raceway-style, with no backgrounds. This does not represent a change to the previous approval for the property. The Board finds this criterion met. DECISION Motion by xxx, seconded by xxx, to approve sign design review application #DR-23-01 of Sousa Sign, LLC, subject to the following conditions: 1. All previous approvals and stipulations which are not changed by this decision, will remain in full effect. 2. The primary colors permitted under application #DR-13-04 are red, white, and blue; with secondary colors limited to black, brick red, silver, bronze, and gold. All of these colors may be used for text, backgrounds, border, and accents. Beige/ivory and orange are hereby added to the list of approved primary colors, and green and blue are hereby added to the list of approved secondary colors. 3. This project must be completed as shown on the plans submitted by the applicant, and on file in the South Burlington Department of Planning and Zoning. 4. The applicant shall obtain sign permits consistent with the master sign approval and specific standards of the Sign Ordinance in effect at the time of application from the Code Officer prior to any changes to signs on the property. 5. Any change to the approved plan shall require approval by the South Burlington Development Review Board or the Administrative Officer. #DR-23-01 4 6. Pursuant to Section 20 of the Sign Ordinance, all signs shall be of substantial and sturdy construction, kept in good repair, and painted or cleaned as necessary to maintain a clean, safe, and orderly appearance. Dan Albrecht Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Mark Behr Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Frank Kochman Yea Nay Abstain Not present Quin Mann Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Dawn Philibert Yea Nay Abstain Not Present John Stern Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Stephanie Wyman Yea Nay Abstain Not Present Motion carried by a vote of 0 – 0 – 0. Signed this ____ day of February, 2023, by _____________________________________ Dawn Philibert, Chair Please note: An appeal of this decision may be taken by filing, within 30 days of the date of this decision, a notice of appeal and the required fee by certified mail to the Superior Court, Environmental Division. See V.R.E.C.P. 5(b). A copy of the notice of appeal must also be mailed to the City of South Burlington Planning and Zoning Department at 575 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403. See V.R.E.C.P. 5(b) (4)(A). Please contact the Environmental Division at 802-828-1660 or http://vermontjudiciary.org/GTC/environmental/default.aspx for more information on filing requirements, deadlines, fees and mailing address. The applicant or permittee retains the obligation to identify, apply for, and obtain relevant state permits for this project. Call 802.477.2241 to speak with the regional Permit Specialist.