A. Consideration of Proposed Amendments to Articles Definitions, Table of Permitted Uses and 6.8 Signs.

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1 To: Sycamore Plan Commission From: Brian Gregory, City Manager Date: August 5, 2015 Re: August 10, 2015 Plan Commission Meeting The Plan Commission has two action items and one workshop item. I. Action Items A. Consideration of Proposed Amendments to Articles Definitions, Table of Permitted Uses and 6.8 Signs. City staff proposes the following amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance. The proposed amendments are the result of prior Plan Commission discussion or clarify areas where the code does not specifically address a particular type of use. Each proposed amendment is listed by section with the modification shown in red along with a brief explanation in italics. Article Definitions Fabric Structure: An engineered structure consisting of a structural steel frame protected by a fabric cover that meets all flame resistant, fire retardant and natural force requirements. Article Table of Permitted Uses KEY: P = Permitted Use S = Special Use T = Temporary Use N. MISCELLANEOUS USES AG R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 M-1 M-2 ORI Airports, Airstrips Aircraft hangars/tie downs, service and repair Auditorium, Arena S S Buildings, Structures exceeding 35 feet in height S S S S S P P P Cemetery S S S S Christmas Tree Sales T T T T Churches, Other Places of Worship S S S S S S Community Building S S S S S S Conservation areas for flora and fauna P P Drive-up Facilities P P Energy reclamation facilities S P P S S 1

2 Fabric Structures, larger than 150 sq. ft. S S Fairgrounds S Forest Preserve P S Garage Sales, Estate Sales, Auctions, Sidewalk Sales T T T T T T T T T T T T Historic sites and structures P P P P P P P P P P P P Hospital S S S Mausoleum, Crematorium, Columbarium S S Meeting Hall P P Membership Clubs, Organizations, Enterprises (other than Sport and Recreation) S P P Museum P P P Parking Garage/Lot (Commercial) P P Penal, correctional and other institutions necessitating restraint of juvenile inhabitants S S S S S Planned Development S S S S S S S S S S S S Sanitarium S S S S Sanitary landfills, solid waste management facilities Tents T T T T T T T T T T T T S In the Building industry the use of hoop-style buildings with a fabric cover has become increasingly more common. This is especially the case with greenhouses and for storage uses. In areas with certain characteristics, these buildings may prove to be a practical solution. The areas where this type of application is appropriate are limited, therefore staff proposes fabric structures be a special use in M-1 and M-2 zoning districts Prohibited Signs. The following signs shall not be permitted in any zoning district: A. Flashing signs and illuminated electronic message boards. 1. In the downtown Business District defined in Section 6.7.2(E) of this code, electronic message boards are prohibited. 2. In C-1 Neighborhood Business Districts, electronic message boards are prohibited. 3. In C-2 Business Districts [other than the downtown Business District referenced in (1), above] and C-3 Highway Business Districts electronic message boards may show the time, temperature, business hours and business or public service messages. Such messages may scroll, but may not re-cycle in less than two (2) second intervals. In addition, the background for such print shall not feature simulated fireworks, explosions, flags flying, or other distracting electronic displays. Electronic message boards at or near intersections shall not use red or green colored lettering in order to avoid confusion with traffic control devices. No more than forty percent (40%) or 35 square feet, whichever is less, of the freestanding sign area provided shall be used as a message board sign. 4. Moving messages that include animation, audio and video clips. At the regular meeting on June 8 th the Plan Commission reviewed different message boards in the community and directed the City Manager to bring back modifications that limits the size to 40% of the sign area. The maximum size of a freestanding sign is 87 square feet, therefore 35 square feet of message board would be the maximum size message board. B. Signs which are wholly dependent upon a building for support or mounted on the roof, which project more than six (6) inches above the highest point of a building or roof to which they are 2

3 attached, unless permitted otherwise, herein. C. Signs which constitute a hazard to public health or safety. D. Signs displaying obscene, indecent or immoral matter. E. Signs mounted, painted or otherwise applied on trailers or motor vehicles, provided that vehicle lettering containing the name, address, or business identification (e.g. logo) of the owner or user and displayed on a motor vehicle in use is exempt from this Section. F. Attention-getting devices including, but not limited to, inflatable, moving, rotating or undulating signs, or light beams except as otherwise permitted with a special events permit. G. Signs which, by reason of size, location, content, color, or manner of illumination, obstruct the vision of motorists or interfere with the visibility or effectiveness of any traffic sign or control device on public streets. H. Signs which make use of words such as "Stop," "Look," "One-Way," "Danger," "Yield," or any similar word, phrase, symbol or light so as to interfere with or confuse pedestrian or vehicular traffic. I. Signs displayed within or extended over public right-of-way, except those erected or authorized by a government authority. J. Signs which obstruct ingress or egress from any fire escape, door, window, or other exit or entrance. K. Advertising, business, or identification signs on light poles of establishments. L. Signs painted directly on trees, rocks and fences and other structures or objects, except walls. M. Festoon lighting. N. Off-premises real estate, garage sale and yard sale signs, including billboards. Exceptions: 1. Signs for real estate open houses, garage sales, and yard sales with an area of less than 6 square feet per side, and which do not present a visibility hazard for motorists. Such signs may not be placed before 7:00 a.m. and must be removed by 7:00 p.m. on each day of the event they are advertising. 2. It shall be permitted to install one off-premises ground sign upon private property with not more than one ground sign per frontage, with the owner s written consent, or on a public street identification sign with the written consent of the City Manager. Where an off premises sign is located on private property, such additional signage shall only be allowed in commercially-zoned districts with frontage on DeKalb Avenue, State Street, Peace Road and Bethany Road (between DeKalb Avenue and Somonauk Street). Essential criteria for such offpremises signs include: (a) that the requesting business must not be visible from the proposed location of the requested off-premises sign, and (b) that a failure to secure permission for such a sign would have an adverse economic impact on the requesting business. Except for identification signs that may be mounted on public street sign poles with the Zoning Administrator s permission, off-premises signs shall be ground signs. The sign face 3

4 shall be no less than 7 feet above the adjoining ground level and no more than 10 feet in height, and the sign face shall have a maximum dimension of 4 feet in width and 3 feet in height. Such signs may not be located so as to create a vision problem for motorists. The signs may be internally illuminated but shall not have attention-getting, rolling lettering. The sign may have a two-sided face but may only include the business name and logo with a directional arrow. 3. It shall be permitted to install not more than two (2) public information signs that shall not be larger than thirty-two (32) square feet to promote charity special events sponsored by not forprofit organizations. Additional temporary special events signs may be allowed at the discretion of the Zoning Administrator. These signs shall be located upon private property with the written consent of the private property owner, but cannot impede the visibility of motorists. They may be displayed for a maximum of thirty days in advance of the special event, and must be removed within forty-eight (48) hours after the event. Over a period of multiple meetings, the Plan Commission wrestled with the question of billboards and whether such a sign should be permitted within City limits. The Unified Development Ordinance prohibits off-premises signs, yet allows billboards, which by definition are an off-premises sign. Discussion at the June 8 th meeting was designed to clarify these two areas of the code. The discussion resulted in direction to bring back language that eliminates billboards as permitted sign Classifications of Signs. For purpose of this Article, signs shall be classified according to their function and structural type, defined as follows: A. FUNCTIONAL TYPES. 1. BILLBOARD. Billboards are not permitted in the City of Sycamore, unless located within six-hundred (600) feet of a state highway, and in conformance with the Illinois Department of Transportation regulations and the following regulations: a. The maximum size of the billboards is eight-hundred (800) square feet. b. No billboard shall be located within five-hundred (500) feet of residentially zoned property. c. No billboard shall be located within one-thousand (1000) feet of any other billboard. d. No billboard shall exceed a height of thirty (30) feet above the ground upon which it is erected. Renumber the remainder of the section starting with Business Sign as 1. This section deletes language that references regulations for billboards as this type of sign would be prohibited based on the amendments proposed in Section above Permitted Signs. The following signs shall be permitted in the City of Sycamore as accessory structures, subject to all applicable standards: B. CANOPY SIGNS. Where permitted in Section 6.8.9, Table of Sign Requirements, business and identification canopy signs shall be permitted subject to the following: 1. NUMBER. Not more than one canopy sign shall be permitted per street frontage per building or tenant space having an exterior public entrance. 4

5 2. LOCATION. Canopy signs shall be mounted on the face of a canopy provided no wall or roof signs are directed to the same street frontage. 3. HEIGHT. The maximum height of a canopy sign shall be the highest point of the canopy to which said sign is attached or sixteen (16) feet, whichever is less. 4. SIGN DISPLAY AREA. Each canopy sign shall be located within a selected sign display area. The canopy sign display area shall be the area of the permitted canopy. The canopy sign display area may be computed using a combination of two (2) adjoining geometric shapes (circles, squares, rectangles, triangles only). The vertical dimensions of the canopy sign display area shall not exceed six (6) feet, except that the Zoning Administrator may authorize additional vertical dimensions if the area of the canopy sign is less than fifteen-percent (15%) of the total area of the canopy and is located more than three hundred (300) feet from a public right-of-way. 5. SIGN DISPLAY AREA LIMITS. The canopy sign display area shall not extend beyond the canopy face on which the sign is located, nor beyond the premises of a particular establishment. 6. SIGN AREA. The area of a canopy sign shall not exceed the maximum percentage of sign display area as defined in this Section and as specified in Section 6.8.8, Table of Sign Requirements. 7. ILLUMINATION. Canopy signs may be illuminated subject to the standards in Section herein. 8. CLEARANCE. A minimum clearance of eight (8) feet shall be provided between finished grade to the lowest point of a canopy sign, but in no instance shall a canopy sign extend below the lowest point of the canopy on which the sign is attached. 9. PROJECTION. No canopy sign shall project more than four (4) inches from the canopy to which it is attached. 10. TIME AND TEMPERATURE DISPLAYS. Time and temperature displays may be incorporated into a canopy sign provided location, area and other technical requirements herein are satisfied. 11. MESSAGE BOARD SIGN. Message board signs shall be permitted when incorporated into a permitted canopy sign subject to all applicable standards, and the following conditions: a) No more than fifty-percent (50%) forty percent (40%) or 35 square feet, whichever is less, of the freestanding sign area provided shall be used as a message board sign. b) Lettering used on manual changeable copy signs directed to local or collector streets shall be at least three (3) inches in height. c) Lettering used on manual changeable copy signs directed to secondary or major arterial streets shall be at least six (6) inches in height. d) Lettering used on manual changeable copy signs directed to pedestrians shall be at least one inch in height. 5

6 At the regular meeting on June 8 th the Plan Commission reviewed different message boards in the community and directed the City Manager to bring back modifications that limits the size to 40% of the sign area. The maximum size of a freestanding sign is 87 square feet, therefore 35 square feet of message board would be the maximum size message board. This section deals with message boards on canopy signs. C. GROUND SIGNS. Where permitted in the Table of Sign Requirements, freestanding pylon or ground signs shall be permitted subject to the following: 1. NUMBER. Each building, regardless of the number of lots upon which it may be located, shall have not more than one (1) ground sign located along the street frontage that serves as the primary access for the lot(s) on which said building is located. Where there are two (2) or more street frontages, one (1) additional ground sign may be located along the street frontage that serves as the secondary access for the lot(s) on which said building is located, if that frontage is in excess of two-hundred (200) lineal feet. For the purpose of this paragraph, an aggregation of two or more structures and/or businesses connected by a wall, fire wall, façade, or other structured element, except sidewalks, shall constitute a single building. 2. LOCATION. No freestanding signs shall be located closer than ten (10) feet to a front property line, and shall be located as far as possible from any transition side property line. Exception: For those commercial lots platted and developed before May 1, 2005, monument-style ground signs may be installed where no part of the sign face or sign base is within 30 inches of a front property line, and the sign and sign base are a minimum of 30 inches from the front building façade. In addition, no part of the sign face or sign base of such monument-style ground signs shall exceed 7 feet in width, and the sign height shall not exceed 6 feet. No monument signs may be located in the 20-foot by 20-foot vision triangle at the intersection of two public rights-of-way. 4. HEIGHT. No ground sign shall exceed fifteen (15) feet in height. Exception: Pylon or commercial development signs are permitted in C-3 Highway Business Districts subject to the following standards: a) For a planned commercial development under unified control, one pylon sign may be erected advertising only the name and location of the shopping center, and the names of the tenants on other integrated but remote parcels within the planned development (See also Section 6.8.7, A,3). b) For a gasoline service station/mini mart or a car dealership, one pylon sign is permitted, subject to the area restrictions in Section , Tables 1 and 2. c) The maximum surface area of a pylon sign shall be two hundred fifty (250) square feet, subject to the further provisions of this Article. d) The maximum height shall be thirty (30) feet. e) The bottom edge of any pylon sign face must be at least eight (8) feet above ground level. 4. SIGN AREA. No freestanding sign shall exceed the maximum area as specified in Section 6.8.9, the Table of Sign Requirements. 6

7 5. ILLUMINATION. Freestanding signs may be illuminated subject to the standards in Section 8.4 herein. 6. TIME AND TEMPERATURE DISPLAYS. Time and temperature displays may be incorporated into a freestanding sign provided location, area and other technical requirements herein are satisfied. 7. MESSAGE BOARD SIGN. Message board signs shall be permitted when incorporated into a free-standing sign subject to all applicable standards herein, and the following conditions: b) No more than fifty-percent (50%) forty percent (40%) or 35 square feet, whichever is less, of the freestanding sign area provided shall be used as a message board sign. c) Lettering used on manual changeable copy signs directed to local or collector streets shall be at least three (3) inches in height. c) Lettering used on manual changeable copy signs directed to secondary or major arterial streets shall be at least six (6) inches in height. d) Lettering used on manual changeable copy signs directed to pedestrians shall be at least one (1) inch in height. 8. DISTANCE FROM BUILDING. No freestanding sign shall be located closer than ten (10) feet to a building, provided that a freestanding sign four (4) feet in height or less may be located as close as three (3) feet from a building. 9. SIGN LANDSCAPING. All ground signs shall be located in a landscaped area separated and protected from vehicular circulation and parking areas. A minimum of two (2) square feet of landscaping area shall be required for every one square foot of sign face provided, but no freestanding sign landscape area shall be less than fifty (50) square feet in area. Said landscape area shall be landscaped appropriately. 10. BASE SCREENING. All ground signs supported by a pole or poles shall have the support pole(s) or base screened from all directions. Support poles shall be enclosed in skirting or a solid base. With a minimum width not less than one-third the width of the proposed sign with a maximum width not greater than 10% more than the width of the proposed sign. The skirting or base shall be constructed of materials consistent with the appearance of the principal structure(s) located on. At the regular meeting on June 8 th the Plan Commission reviewed different message boards in the community and directed the City Manager to bring back modifications that limits the size to 40% of the sign area. The maximum size of a freestanding sign is 87 square feet, therefore 35 square feet of message board would be the maximum size message board. In addition, the review of signs within the community led to a discussion about the sign base. The discussion suggested that some form of screening be required for sign poles or bases. This new section requires skirting that is at least one-third the size of the sign width. A favorable recommendation to the City Council is requested. 7

8 B. Consideration of a Request by Resource Bank, N.A for a Change of Zoning of the Property Located at 351 North Main Street (PIN number ) from the Current Zoning of C-1, Neighborhood Business District to C-3, Highway Business District. Resource Bank has purchased the property located at 351 N. Main Street (the former Willows Café) and intends to convert the building into a bank branch. The bank plans to install a drive-up banking lane as part of the project. The new drive-up area will be constructed from materials that complement the historic nature of the building. The property is currently zoned C-1, Neighborhood Business District. Drive-up lanes are not permitted in C-1 zoning districts but are allowed in C-2, Central Business Districts and C-3, Highway Business Districts. In order to accommodate the request either a variance would need to be obtained or the property would need to be rezoned. Staff reviewed the circumstances and characteristics of the property including adjacent properties and felt the most appropriate solution would be to rezone the property to C-3, Highway Business District. Two of the other three properties at the corner are zoned C-3, with the other zoned M-2, Heavy Manufacturing. C-3 zoning requires greater setbacks than C-2 zoning therefore ensuring the buildings are arranged in an orderly way along N. Main Street. A favorable recommendation to the City Council is requested. 8

9 II. Workshop Items A. A Workshop to Reintroduce the Northwest Sub Area Plan and Discussion of Possible Future Annexations. In February 2011, the City Council approved the Northwest Sub Area Plan to provide for a rural conservation subdivision west of Motel Road shown on the City s Future Land Use Map as rural residential. This land use designation was intended to recognize the existence of areas within the City s mile-and-a-half planning jurisdiction that already have an established rural residential character, and which might see the development of additional, large-acre home sites utilizing individual wells and individual septic tank absorption fields. Given the properties are surrounded by agricultural uses, this type of development would create a blended edge that fades into the adjacent rural landscape and defines the edge of the City s northwest planning quadrant. The Northwest Sub Area plan led to the creation of a unique zoning district designation, identified as R-4 rural residential, to accommodate very sparse housing and some non-commercial animal husbandry. Given that the properties within the rural residential area are controlled by multiple owners the pace of potential annexation was unknown when the Northwest Subarea Plan was established. Any annexation of properties needs to be contiguous to the existing City limits. Many of the property owners within the Northwest Sub Area have expressed an interest to annex to the City as shown in the attached exhibit. Annexation of any or all properties would be considered upon petition of the owner on a case-by-case basis. The purpose of this workshop is to reintroduce the Northwest Sub Area and R-4, Rural Residential Zoning classifications and the City s expectations for orderly development and uses as defined by the Municipal Code and Unified Development Ordinance. RURAL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT (R-4) According to the City s Unified Development Ordinance the Rural Residential District is established to define appropriate guidelines for development in the rural residential area comprising the Northwest Sub-Plan Area that was approved by the Sycamore City Council on February 7, This area is bounded on the south by Freed Road, on the west by the east branch of the South Branch of the Kishwaukee River, on the north by North Grove Road, and on the east by the Koehling Farm adjacent to Brickville Road. This sub-area comprises approximately 370 acres and presently features small farms, a local church, and a well-established hunting and fishing preserve, close to single family housing that was established with a rural character within the DeKalb County political jurisdiction in the 1970s. In this area, low density single family housing was developed on one-to-five acre lots with individual wells and septic tank absorption fields, utilizing rural County road designs that feature ditches to convey storm water runoff. It is the City s intent that parcels within this sub-area shall be annexed in a sequential and orderly fashion, and that they shall retain their rural character so as to constitute a final planning edge to the community s northwest side. Accordingly, lot sizes shall be a minimum of three (3) gross acres (0.33 units per gross acre). These lots will not be large enough to support commercial agriculture, but will be large enough to permit private stables and accessory buildings for a limited number of horses or other livestock. The map symbol for this district shall be R-4. 9

10 LOT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS Minimum Lot Width: 250 foot minimum Minimum Lot Depth: 400 feet Minimum Lot Area: Three gross acres. A guest house may be constructed as a separate building on a lot of four (4) or more gross acres and must be located behind the rear building line of the principal residence. Front and Corner Side Setback: 50 feet Side Yard Setback: 25 feet on interior lots. A minimum of 25 feet must be provided between a driveway and a side lot line. Rear Yard Setback: 50 feet. Lot Coverage (maximum): 30% Frontage Look : Porch, Fence, Stoop, Forecourt, Dooryard ACCESSORY BUILDINGS Detached Private Garages. Detached private garages may be constructed in rear yards for the storage or shelter of motor vehicles with no facilities for mechanical service or repair of a retail nature. All licensed vehicles, trailers, boats and recreational vehicles shall have permanent enclosed garage space. Such buildings may not exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height or two thousand five-hundred (2,500) square feet on the first floor level. Detached private garages may exceed 2,500 square feet by special use only. Private detached garages shall not be closer than fifty (50) feet from the rear and side lot lines. Private Stables and Livestock Buildings. Private stables and livestock buildings may be constructed in rear yards and shall not be closer than seventy-five (75) feet from the rear or side lot lines. The stalls in a private stable or livestock building shall be a minimum of ten feet by twelve feet (10 x 12 ). On a three acre parcel, a maximum of five hundred square feet may be in the first floor area of a stable or livestock building. For each additional acre over three acres, the first floor area may be increased by 250 square feet. Private stables or other livestock buildings in excess of one thousand (1,500) square feet on the first floor area shall require a special use permit. Guesthouses. Guesthouses may be constructed in rear yards on a lot of four (4) or more acres. The ground floor area of the guesthouse shall be a maximum of one thousand (1,000) square feet. A guesthouse must be a minimum of fifty feet (50 ) from the rear and side lot lines and a minimum of fifty feet (50 ) from the principal residence. A guesthouse shall have a maximum of two stories and a maximum total living space of one thousand six hundred (1,600) square feet. The ground floor area of a guesthouse shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the ground floor area of the principal residence on the lot. Other Accessory Uses. Tennis courts, swimming pools and accessory uses other than private stables, livestock buildings and guest houses shall be in rear yards only, and shall be no closer than twenty-five (25) feet from a side or rear lot line. VERTICAL STANDARDS 10

11 Maximum Height: 35 feet; 3 stories. Fences: Refer to Article 6.2. BUILDING USE STANDARDS Ground Floor: Residential. Minimum first floor living area: 1,800 sq. ft. Upper Floor(s): Residential Building Entrance Typically Faces Front Each dwelling unit shall be serviced with its own water service line, building sewer line, sump pump line and all other utility lines and extensions. A subdivision plat shall be prepared in accordance with Articles 4.4 and 4.5 of this Code and approved simultaneously with the Special Use Permit. PARKING STANDARDS In addition to the requirements set forth in Article 6.7: Covered Parking: Required (except for guest parking). WATER AND SEWER Private wells would be utilized to provide water for drinking and bathing. If properly planned and inspected within County Health Department standards these three acre lots would not pose any inherent public health hazard. The area within the proposed sub-planning area will not be served by Sycamore s gravity sewer system. Private sewage disposal systems would be utilized within DeKalb County Health Department standards. STREETS AND ROADS All improvements within the development would be private and require the creation of a homeowner s association which would be responsible for maintenance of such improvements. This would include internal snow plowing and other roadway maintenance. Internal roads would be privately owned and maintained and have a rural design with ditches for stormwater conveyance and the road surfaces would be hot mix asphalt. Motel Road would be maintained as a rural road. OTHER UTILITIES The property owners will be responsible for the cost of all necessary utility extensions to the property, including but not limited to electrical service and natural gas. 11