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Home My WebLink AboutDR-07-02 - Decision - 0005 Dorset Street( #DR-07-02 CITY OF SOUTH BURLINGTON DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ZONING LTH, LP - 5 DORSET STREET DESIGN REVIEW APPLICATION #DR-07-02 FINDINGS OF FACT AND DECISION LTH, L.P., hereafter referred to as the applicant, is seeking to obtain a new master signage permit for a multi -building lot located at 5 Dorset Street in the Dorset Street/ City Center Sign District. The amendment to the master signage permit would revise the design scheme for the freestanding and wall signs on the property. The Development Review Board held a public meeting on April 10, 2007. Wendy Chase represented the applicant. Based on testimony provided at the above mentioned public hearing and the plans and supporting 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 is seeking to obtain a new master signage permit for a multi -building lot located at 5 Dorset Street in the Dorset Street/ City Center Sign District. The amendment to the master signage permit would revise the design scheme for the freestanding and wall signs on the property. 2. The Design Review Committed reviewed this application on March 26, 2007. 3. The owner of record of the subject property is LTH, L.P. 4. The subject property is located in the Commercial 1 — Residential 12 (C1-R12) Zoning District and the Dorset Street/City Center Sign District. 5. The applicant submitted renderings of the sign and a site plan. Pursuant to Section 6 of the City of South Burlington Sign Ordinance, the erection, alteration, or relocation of any sign within this district shall require design review by the South Burlington Design Review Committee (DRC) and Development Review Board (DRB). Section 8 of the Sign Ordinance requires all property owners within the DS/CC Sign District to obtain a Master Signage Permit. DESIGN REVIEW CRITERIA In reviewing an application for signage, the DRC and DRB shall consider the following: (a) Consistent Design - 1 - ( #DR-07-02 The design of a sign must be compatible and harmonious with the design of buildings on the subject 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 applicant has proposed a detailed design standard for the property: All exterior wall mounted signs must be a channel letter, a fabricated three-dimensional letter that is white acrylic with a blue perforated vinyl 1st surface, internally lit. The channel letters are attached to a raceway. All exterior free standing signs shall be cabinet style signs. The fabricated sign panel will be composed of arlon vinyl. The proposed signs are compatible with the existing building and the surrounding buildings. Planning staff has worked with the applicant and informed them that the existing University Inn and Suites sign will not comply with the provisions of this master sign permit and should be removed. The applicant has agreed. The signs are proposed to be internally lit. It is unclear which portions of the sign are translucent and which are opaque. The applicant should ensure that only the letters and logo are translucent. The remaining portions of the light box, colored in blue, must be opaque (not visibly lit). (b) Promotion of City Center Goals Signs within the DS/CC Sign District should be of high aesthetic quality and pedestrian oriented. The proposed signage largely complies with this requirement. Graphics appear to be legible and aesthetically pleasing. However, the applicant should ensure that the freestanding signs are landscaped to the greatest extent practical while ensuring a clean and pleasant appearance. (c) Color & Texture Section 6(b)(3) that states, "The use of a maximum of three (3) predominant colors is encouraged to provide consistent foreground, text, and background color schemes," staff again stresses the importance of some flexibility for such a large and diverse property. The applicant has proposed that the face colors shall be limited to blue, white, and red. Accent colors for logos or graphics shall be yellow and red. As staff has already stated, the existing University Inn and Suites sign will need to be removed as it is green, white, and yellow and not in compliance with this criterion. The proposed signs are compatible and harmonious with buildings on the property and nearby. -2- #DR-07-02 (d) Materials Used 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. The materials proposed for signs on this property are in compliance with this criterion. The signs shall be kept in good repair. (e) Wall Mounted Signs New wall mounted signs must be in compliance with the additional criteria included below: Pursuant to Table 10-1 of the Sign Ordinance, a wall -mounted sign for a multi -tenant building or a multi -building lot with a master signage permit in any district with freestanding or landscape sign shall not exceed 15% of the area of the fagade to which it is attached or 100 sq. ft., whichever is smaller. Pursuant to Table 10-1 of the Sign Ordinance, the total area of all wall -mounted signs on the subject property shall not exceed 10% of the area of principal public facade of each building. Section 10(c) states that a wall -mounted sign shall not project above the roof or parapet of the building nor below the top of any first floor doorway unless permitted through the design review approval process. Pursuant to Section 10(d), a wall -mounted sign shall not cover any opening or project beyond the top or end of any wall to which it is attached. Section 10(g) stipulates that a wall -mounted sign shall not project from the wall in excess of 9". The master sign permit is limited to overall design criteria. The code officer shall ensure that these criteria are met when issuing individual sign permits for the property. (0 Freestanding Signs Section 9(h) states that free-standing signs along Dorset Street are to be located in a sign corridor that begins adjacent to the road Right -of -Way and runs sixteen (16) feet from the edge of the Right of Way toward the building face. Furthermore, the applicant shall ensure that the proposed signs are not within the City's right of way. The proposed freestanding sign appears to be in compliance with this requirement. However, the master sign permit considered herein is limited to overall design criteria. The code officer shall ensure that these criteria are met when issuing individual sign permits for the property. Section 9(h) states that free-standing signs in the Dorset Street/City Center District may not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in overall dimensions and may be no -3- I #DR-07-02 higher than twelve (12) feet, measured from the average finished grade at the base of the sign to the highest point of any part of the sign structure. The proposed freestanding sign is not in compliance with this requirement. However, the master sign permit considered herein is limited to overall design criteria. The code officer shall ensure that these criteria are met when issuing individual sign permits for the property. DECISION Motion by seconded by �� to approve Design Review Applic tion #DR-07-02 of LTH, L.P., subject to the fo lowing conditions: 1) All previous approvals and stipulations, which are not superseded by this approval, shall remain in effect. 2) This project shall be completed as shown on the plan submitted by the applicant and on file in the South Burlington Department of Planning and Zoning. 3) A Master Signage Permit shall be issued to LTH L.P for the property at 5 Dorset Street by the DRB, prior to the issuance of any individual sign permit for the property. 4) For free -standings signs, only the letters and logo are translucent. The remaining portions of the light box, colored in blue, must be opaque (not visibly lit). 5) The colors of all the signs shall be limited to red, blue, and white; accent colors for graphics shall be limited to yellow and red. 6) All signs shall be kept in good repair; landscaping surrounding the freestanding signs shall be kept trimmed and neat and shall not obscure the text of the sign. -4- #DR-07-02 Mark Behr —6nay/abstain/not present Matthew Birmingham — yea/nay/abstain/ of prese John Dinklage — a/nay/abstain of presen Roger Farley — ay/abstain/no presen Eric Knudsen — e ay/abstain/not present Peter Plumeau —g nay/abstain/not present Gayle Quimby —nay/abstain/not present Motion carried by a vote of D - O Signed this � ay of A d Z, 2007, by Mark Behr, Vice Chairman Please note: You have the right to appeal this decision to the Vermont Environmental Court, pursuant to 24 VSA 4471 and VRCP 76 in writing, within 30 days of the date this decision is issued. The fee is $225.00. If you fail to appeal this decision, your right to challenge this decision at some future time may be lost because you waited too long. You will be bound by the decision, pursuant to 24 VSA 4472 (d) (exclusivity of remedy; finality). -5-