MAUDLIN INTERNATIONAL ROOF SIGN 2200 S. DIVISION AVE.

Transcription

1 Staff Report to the Board of Zoning Adjustment December 19, 2017 VAR I TEM #6 MAUDLIN INTERNATIONAL ROOF SIGN 2200 S. DIVISION AVE. UNINCORPORATED ORANGE COUNTY S. Parramore Ave. Lake Angel Ex RR spur W. Grant St. Location Map Subject Site S UMMARY Applicant Theresa Northup Mid-Florida Signs, Inc. Owner Darrin Cunningham, CEO Tide RE Holdings, Inc. Project Planner Jim Burnett, AICP Updated: December 13, 2017 Property Location: 2200 S. Division Ave. (west side of S. Division Ave., east of I-4, between W. Kaley and W. Grant Sts.) (Parcel # ) (±8.8 acres, District 4). Applicant s Request: The applicant is requesting a variance to allow a 54- ft. tall, 2-sided 80 sq. ft. roof sign, where such signs are prohibited in the City. The site is zoned I-G/T and is located in the South Division neighborhood. A very similar variance was previously approved in April 2016 but subsequently expired prior to sign permits being applied for or issued. Staff s Recommendation: Approval of the variance, subject to conditions in this staff report. Public Comment: Courtesy notices were mailed to property owners within 300 ft. of the subject property the week of December 4, As of the published date of this report, staff has not received any comments from the public concerning this request.

2 Page 2 F UTURE LAND USE MAP UNINCORPORATED ORANGE COUNTY Lake Angel SUBJECT PROPERTY W. Grant St. Z ONING MAP UNINCORPORATED ORANGE COUNTY SUBJECT PROPERTY Lake Angel W. Grant St.

3 Page 3 P ROJECT ANALYSIS Project Description The subject property consists of the former Merita Bread baking and processing facility, which has since been demolished. The applicant/owner intends to construct a 77,600 sq. ft. truck dealership and service center on the site, with associated parking and display areas, all adjacent to Interstate 4. The company, Maudlin International, currently operates a smaller facility two (2) blocks to the south. As part of the development, the owner/applicant intends to erect a 54 ft. tall 2-sided 80 sq. ft. roof sign on the west side of the new parts warehouse building. The proposed roof sign is prohibited and requires a variance to allow said sign. The property is zoned I-G/T (Industrial, General, Traditional City Overlay) and is designated Industrial on the City s Future Land Use Map. Adjacent uses, zoning and future land use designations are per Table 1 below. Table 1 Project Context - Adjacent Properties Future Land Use Zoning Use North Industrial (INDUST) & (Across W. Kaley St.) INDUST East (Across S. Division Ave.) IN- DUST I-G/T (Industrial, General, Traditional City Overlay) I-G/T Previous Actions 1961: Merita Bread established on subject property (closed 2013). 10/2014: Property acquired by current owner. 8/2015: Demolition permit secured for site (DEM ), including relocation of existing Merita Bread rooftop sign to the Morse Museum in Winter Park. 4/2016: Variance (VAR ) approved to allow a roof sign for the new Maudlin Truck Center (variance expired 4/2017, no sign permits requested or issued). 6/2016: Master Plan (MPL ) approved to construct new truck dealership and service center. 3/2017: Replat submitted (SUB ); building permits for dealership issued (BLD ). Conformance with the LDC The property is zoned I-G and is located in the Traditional City (T) Overlay, which denotes those areas of the City developed or platted prior to WW2. The 386,111 sq. ft. (8.86-acre) lot is irregularly shaped; the property meets the minimum 10,000 sq. ft. lot area size for I-G/T zoning. Analysis Table 2 Sign Allowances (I-G/T) As previously noted, the owner/applicant intends to place a new 54-ft. tall 2-sided 80 sq. ft. roof sign on the west side of the new parts warehouse building and needs a variance to allow said roof sign. Per LDC Section , the total sign allocation for the site is provided in Table 2 at right. Per LDC Section , a roof sign is defined as a sign Mobil Station/Convenience Store & Vacant FDOT Property Industrial Warehouses & Yards South INDUST I-G/T Industrial Warehouse West INDUST and (across I-4) Residential Low Intensity I-G/T, R-1/T (One-Family Residential, Traditional City Overlay) and P/T (Public Use, Traditional City Overlay) Interstate 4 & Retention Ponds Building Frontages Linear ft. multiplier Total area (sq. ft.) W. Kaley St. none none none S. Division Ave. 549 x 2 1,098 (no high-rise signs proposed, only the 2-sided roof sign) erected, constructed, or maintained above the roof of any building. This is not to be confused with a highrise sign, which is any sign placed higher than 30 feet above ground level on a building. The proposed roof sign will be located on the west side of the new parts warehouse building, immediately north of the truck loading/unloading area. The sign will be located atop a series of stacked cubes at a total height of 54 ft., 24 ft. above the adjacent building roof. Each of two (2) 80 sq. ft. logo signs will face northwest and

4 Page 4 southwest to be visible from passing vehicular traffic on east and westbound- I-4. The truck dealership will also have additional signs as depicted in Table 3 at Table 3 Proposed Signs right. The need for the roof sign is predicated on the proposed Sign Size (sq. ft.) Height increased roadway height of Interstate 4 to the west. The Roof Sign (2 faces) 80 x 2 = ft. applicant has provided a graphic illustrating the existing Northwest Wall - Facing I ±26 ft. and proposed I-4 roadway elevations, showing the need East Wall - Facing Division ft. for the proposed sign to be taller on the curved portion of I-4 than might be otherwise allowed on a straight stretch SE Wall/Logo ft. of I-4. The Board has granted variances for a limited NE Wall/Logo ft. number of roof signs in the past, specifically showing Monument (Division) ft. more leniency for wall signs that extend above the parapet (Boys and Girls Club offices) and for roof signs for North Wall - Facing Kaley ft. historic buildings (Firestone Nightclub and Cameo Theater/Office Building). In this Total ±868 ( 1098 sq. ft.) case, the proposed sign will be fairly compact in AERIAL PHOTO size (80 sq. ft., compared to the larger wall signs located below 30 ft. in building elevation). Given the limited size of the proposed roof signs, staff supports the variance as proposed, per the conditions on page 8, including stipulating that the International portion of the roof signs (against the colored logo) must glow white at night. SUBJECT PROPERTY

5 Page 5 ULTIMATE I-4 AERIAL INTERSTATE 4 SITE X Proposed Sign U LTIMATE I-4 GRADES Approx. Roof Sign Ht. Proposed Grade of I-4 54 ft. Existing Grade of I-4 Existing Grade of Entry/Exit Ramps

6 Page 6 P ROPOSED SITE PLAN W. Kaley St. PROPOSED ROOF SIGN MONUMENT SIGN S. DIVISION AVE. Ex RR Spur

7 Page 7 B UILDING ELEVATIONS W. SIGNAGE ROOF SIGN 80 sq. ft. 2 sided (facing northwest and southwest) 54 ft. 270 sq. ft. 30 ft. West side of building, viewed from I-4 ROOF SIGN Northeast corner of building, viewed from S. Division Ave. Former Merita Bread roof sign (now in storage). These signs would total ±370 sq. ft. of 1,098 sq. ft. of total sign area available

8 Page 8 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS VARIANCE FOR SIGNS OVER THE PARAPET FOR NEW TRUCK DEALERSHIP Variance to allow a 54-ft. tall 2-faced 80 sq. ft. signs over the adjacent roof parapet, where roof signs are prohibited (per LDC Section ). Staff Recommendation: Approval of the variance, based on the finding that said variance meets the six (6) standards for approval of a variance, subject to the following conditions: 1. Development must be in strict conformance with all conditions and the site plans and elevations found in this report, subject to any modification by the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) and/or City Council. Minor modifications to the approved variance may be approved by the Zoning Official. Major modifications, as determined by the Zoning Official, will require additional review by the BZA. 2. All applicable City, county, state or federal permits must be obtained before commencing development. 3. Appearance Review must be secured during permitting to ensure compliance with the variance conditions. 4. Total sign area for the property cannot exceed 1,098 sq. ft., unless determined otherwise at time of permitting (based on building frontage facing S. Division Ave.). 5. All wall signs on the proposed building cannot extend higher than the building parapet or be taller than 30 ft. on the building façade (lest they be considered high-rise signs, which would effectively reduce the total overall sign area by half). 6. The ground/monument sign must not exceed 18 ft. in height, per LDC Section Signage for the corner outparcel (@ W. Kaley St. and S. Division Ave.) will be determined at time of Administrative Master Plan or Final Site Plan determination for that parcel. 8. The International portion of roof sign (against colored logo) must glow white at night. 9. The tower signs are limited to the "International" logo. 10. No displays may be placed within the open cubes. No moving or animated parts are permitted. 11. Plastic panel box (or cabinet ) signs are prohibited. Internally lit signs must have metal panels on all sides. Acceptable sign designs include metal front-lit channel letters (which may have polycarbonate letter faces); halo-lit channel letters (also known as reverse-lit channel letters), and must have metal faces; front and back-lit channel letters (which have polycarbonate faces and open backs); open lit channel letters; metal panel faces with push-through acrylic letters; raised metal or acrylic letters; pinmounted metal letters; neon tubes; or sign options of similar quality, considered with an appearance review. Externally lit signs are allowed. Light-emitting diode (LED) lamps are preferred. Note to Applicant: The proposed variance only addresses the Land Development Code standards expressly represented in this staff report and any relief to such standards as approved. The relief granted through the variance (s) is restricted to the subject property as noted in the staff report and is not transferable to other parcels of land. The next step in this variance request is City Council consideration of the Board of Zoning Adjustment's recommended action (provided it is not appealed) at an upcoming City Council meeting. Possible City Council approval of this variance request does not constitute final approval to carry out the development proposed in this application. The applicant shall comply with all other applicable requirements of the Land Development Code, including any additional review requirements, and shall receive all necessary permits before initiating development. Please contact the Permitting Services Division of the City of Orlando to inquire about your next steps toward receiving a building permit.

9 Page 9 S TANDARDS FOR V ARIANCE APPROVAL Special Conditions and Circumstances Special conditions and circumstances exist which are peculiar to the land, structure, or building involved and which are not applicable to other lands, structures or buildings in the same zoning district. Zoning violations or nonconformities on neighboring properties shall not constitute grounds for approval of any proposed Zoning Variance. Not Self-Created The special conditions and circumstances do not result from actions of the applicant. A self-created hardship shall not justify a Zoning Variance; i.e., when the applicant himself by his own conduct creates the hardship which he alleges to exist, he is not entitled to relief. No Special Privilege Conferred Approval of the Zoning Variance requested shall not confer on the applicant any special privilege that is denied by this Chapter to other lands, buildings, or structures in the same zoning district. V ARIANCE : ALLOW A 54-FT. TALL, 2- SIDED 80 SQ. FT. SIGN TO BE MOUNTED ABOVE THE ADJACENT ROOF PARAPET, WHERE SUCH SIGNS ARE PROHIBITED Meets Standard Yes No The applicant/owner is constructing a 77,600 sq. ft. truck dealership and service center on the former Merita Bread site, with associated parking and display areas. The site is adjacent to Interstate 4, which is undergoing a major makeover, including elevation of adjacent travel lanes, which will require signage high enough to be seen from I-4 than previously enjoyed by the former Merita Bread use. Meets Standard Yes No The owners did not create the conditions of the Ultimate I-4 expansion and elevation, prompting the need for taller site signage adjacent to I-4. Meets Standard Yes No Approval of the variance as requested would not confer a special privilege, based on the special conditions and circumstances of the property. Deprivation of Rights Literal interpretation of the provisions contained in this Chapter would deprive the applicant of rights commonly enjoyed by other properties in the same zoning district under the terms of this Chapter and would work unnecessary and undue hardship on the applicant. Financial loss or business competition shall not constitute grounds for approval of any variance. Purchase of property with intent to develop in violation of the restrictions of this Chapter shall also not constitute grounds for approval. Minimum Possible Variance The Zoning Variance requested is the minimum variance that will make possible the reasonable use of the land, building or structure. Purpose and Intent Approval of the Zoning Variance will be in harmony with the purpose and intent of this Chapter and such Zoning Variance will not be injurious to the neighborhood or otherwise detrimental to the public welfare. Meets Standard Yes No Denial of the variance would deprive the applicant of the right to have adequate signage to identify a new truck dealership adjacent to I-4, which is a major truck thoroughfare through Orlando. Having adequate business signage is a similar right enjoyed by others in similar circumstances throughout the I-4 corridor. Meets Standard Yes No The variance requested is the minimum possible variance to allow placement of 2 new signs above the parapet of a new truck dealership (placement similar to the previous Merita Bread). Meets Standard Yes No Approval of the variance as requested would be viewed as being harmonious with the purpose and intent of the Code. Continued use of the property within Code requirements will promote the appearance and character of the immediate neighborhood. Granting of the variance would not be detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to other properties along I-4 or along S. Division Ave.

10 Page 10 A PPLICANT S RESPONSES TO VARIANCE REQUEST