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Item7 staff memo RPAI Amendments City of Southlake Values: Integrity ♦ Innovation ♦ Accountability ♦ Commitment to Excellence ♦ Teamwork Item #7 M E M O R A N D U M October 30, 2019 To: City Council and the Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z)/Sign Board From: Ken Baker, Senior Director of Planning & Development Services Subject: Item 7: Presentation on Retail Properties of America Inc. (RPAI) proposed amendments to the Town Square Master Sign Plan and “DT” Downtown Zoning District regulations and guidelines. Action Requested: The purpose of this item is to provide staff and RPAI direction with the next steps for the proposed Town Square master sign plan and proposed amendments to the Downtown District. Presentation: Staff will provide an overview on the basis for the proposed amendments to the current Town Square Master Sign Plan(s) and “DT” Downtown Zoning District. Staff will explain the major proposed changes to the existing master sign pland and “DT” Downtown ordinace. Staff will then request feedback on the amendments and direction on moving forward with processing the amendments. Background Information: The “DT” Downtown Zoning District, specifically Southlake Town Square, serves as the backbone for the City and its economy. A place with attractive spaces and landscaping, vibrant activity, and a development geared towards a pedestrian friendly environment, Town Square highly depends on the collaboration and cooperation between the City, the developer (Cooper and Stebbins) and the property owners. As a dynamic and also continuously evolving development, on-going efforts are required to preserve the character, improve the experience, and maintain the quality of the development. Purpose: Retail Properties of America, Inc. (RPAI) wishes to modernize the development ordinances governing Southlake Town Square to create flexibility in the provision of signage, storefront appearance and lighting to address the rapidly evolving, unique retail demands associated with a pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use environment. The purpose and Intent section of the draft master sign plan provided by RPAI notes the goal to modernize while also protecting the distinct architectural character of Town Square through the encouragement of excellent architectural design that is responsible and responsive to the individual context of the development. Joint City Council – P&Z/Sign Board Meeting | November 4, 2019 Page 2 of 6 RPAI provided the following as their inspiration for the proposed amendments: • Aging shopping centers face increasing competition and challenges; • Shopping precincts and district areas play an important role in communities as a means [of] creating a sense of place and gathering; • Amendment recommendations, as warranted, are to allow for creativity and flexibility in order to facilitate an opportunity to reposition and continue the development of Southlake Town Square. There are currently four (4) separately adopted master sign plan packages for Southlake Town Square: • Phase I • Grand Avenue • Block 10 • Block 22 In addition to these sign packages for these different blocks within Town Square, individual tenants may also request a sign variance or master sign plan. Examples of conditional sign permits include Lululemon, Granite, Trader Joe’s, Columbia PFG, Johnny Was, L Makeup Institute, etc. A driving force associated with the RPAI request is the establishment of set parameters clearly defined that give staff the ability to administratively approve permits, rather than taking each request through the legislative process. The trends in retail and changing landscape of experiential retail necessitate that RPAI request variances to accommodate their tenants. Summary / Staff Observations: Staff reviewed the early draft documents provided by RPAI to pull key takeaways. Some of these early observations are highlighted below to give the City Council and the Planning & Zoning Commission/Sign Board additional context about the nature of the RPAI request. These comments do not represent a holistic summation of the materials provided, but rather serve to illustrate the foundational components of the request. An early outcome identified by RPAI was to prepare a design manual with clear and concise guidelines using text, precedent imagery, illustrations to allow for administrative approval of signs/facades/lighting within established design criteria. General Staff Observations – RPAI Sign Proposal • The proposal represents a redline document that essentially pulls regulations from various components of existing City ordinances, such as Section 37 – Downtown District (zoning ordinance) as well as the Downtown District Design Guidelines, and 704-J (sign ordinance). Staff has provided a sign definition comparisons matrix as an attachment with this packet to help better organize the contents of the Joint City Council – P&Z/Sign Board Meeting | November 4, 2019 Page 3 of 6 proposal and differentiate between the amendments proposed by RPAI. • Moving forward, the applicant will need to put together a stand-alone master sign plan document for Town Square unique to this environment, rather than pulling references such as standards, definitions, and other regulations from the adopted sign ordinance. The applicant has defined terms already ref erenced in the adopted in Sign Ordinance No. 704-J, which is unnecessary and could be confusing in the future. The applicant should incorporate a general statement to this effect: Where no provison, regulation or definition is given the City of Southlake Sign Ordinance No. 704-J, the City’s Sign Ordinance No. 704-J shall govern. • The RPAI proposal includes numerous sign types not currently defined in the City’s sign ordinance. Of particular interest to City Council and the Planning & Zoning Commission/Sign Board may be the following: o Advertising Panel – Large scale placard suspended from a ceiling, applied on a wall or other architectural surface in indoor or outdoor public places for promotional and/or advertising purposes. o Arcade Sign – Sign supported or suspended within a colonnade or, underneath an awning, canopy, breezeway, marquee, overhang or other structural element of a building that forms a covered passageway for pedestrians. o Animated Sign – A sign using movement or lighting changes to depict action or create a special effect or scene, except LED/LCD displays and/or those on visible restaurant menu boards. o Changeable Copy Sign – Any sign designed so copy (letters and numbers) attached or digitally displayed can be changed. o Changing Imagery – The process to electronically project two or three-dimensional objects, graphics or video onto spatially mapped surfaces of landscape settings and structures such as buildings or other built environments. Visually dynamic, the display, whether static or animated, is presented with audio to create an audio-visual narrative. o Holiday Decoration – Displays erected on a seasonal basis in observance of religious, national or state holidays, which are not intended to be permanent and contain no advertising material. Joint City Council – P&Z/Sign Board Meeting | November 4, 2019 Page 4 of 6 o Large Media Display – Large scale digital screens such as LED, LCD and project screens where video or multimedia content is displayed in indoor or outdoor public spaces for informational, entertainment, artistic or advertising purposes. o Sign, Advertising Column – A freestanding, often cylindrical pedestrian scaled structure in the public area streetscape used for providing information or displaying advertisements, often incorporating static or an interactive display screen or screens. o Sign, Gobo (Image Projection) – Projection of patterns, colors and/or imagery via light and shadow on vertical or horizontal surfaces. o Sign, Inflatable - Sign constructed of a flexible material or fabric made to assume a three-dimensional shape when inflatable with a sufficient volume of air or a gas. o Sign, Menu Vitrine – An accessory to display menus encased in a wall display adjacent to the entry to a restaurant establishment. o Skeleton Tubing (Exposed Neon) – Neon tubing that is itself or outlines lighting that may be supported by a panel but, is not attached to an enclosure or sign body. • In addition to identifying signs not defined in the City’s existing ordinances, the RPAI proposal includes definitions for signs that are prohibited in the adopted sign ordinance. It is not clear whether RPAI has listed these because they want them to be permitted by right or prohibited, or if they are simply creating an index of sign terms in their master sign plan. Some examples of particular interest to City Council and the Planning & Zoning Commission/Sign Board include: o Sign, Flashing – Illumination of which is not constant in intensity when in use, that exhibits sudden or marked changes in lighting effects. LED displays on restaurant menu boards are not considered flashing signs. o Sign, Pole – A freestanding sign that may provide identification, directional or information, which is supported by and placed upon, one or more poles. o Wall Mural (Visual Art) – Any graphic or artwork painted or applied on a wall, ceiling or other architectural surface where its background differentiates it from the general color or material of the wall or other surface. o Windblown Device – Any banner, bow flag, pennant, spinner, streamer, propeller, disc, moored blimp, gas balloon or flag Joint City Council – P&Z/Sign Board Meeting | November 4, 2019 Page 5 of 6 (which is not of local, state, federal, corporate, nonprofit or religious origin) 29 that is designed to inform or attract attention, whether or not such device carries a message, all or part of which is set in motion by wind, mechanical, electrical or any other means. General Staff Observations – RPAI Proposed Amendments for the “DT” Downtown District Guidelines This four-page proposal updates the adopted Downtown District Guidelines (adopted in March 2003) by revising standards related to architectural elements, lighting and signage. The section also revises a portion of Section 33 – Supplementary District Regulations in the zoning ordinance. • RPAI should consider proposing an amendment to Section 37 – “DT” Downtown District of the zoning ordinance to incorporate the desired changes. The proposal is currently shown as a redline to Section 33 (building color standards). If the intention of RPAI is only for Town Square, this should be outline in the zoning district regulations and guidelines for Town Square, rather than citywide. • The RPAI proposal introduces “frameless, fully transparent, structural glass assemblies for ground floor storefronts of retail, service, and food and beverage establishments. • RPAI proposes colors used in Town Square be reviewed on a case- by-case basis for their sensitivity to the distinctive architectural character of Town Square by the administrative official. • RPAI has indicated that they will provide a list of acceptable colors, which is currently regulated by the zoning ordinance in Section 33 – Supplementary District Regulations. RPAI has not yet provided these colors to staff. Next Steps: Provide staff and RPAI direction with the next steps for the proposed master sign plan and proposed amendments to the Downtown District. Options for moving forward: 1) Send a revised and clean proposal through the legislative process, which would include additional staff review, a meeting of the Sign Board/PZ, and a City Council meeting for final approval. 2) Appoint an existing group to workshop the proposal before moving through the legislative process (possibly the Sign Board/PZ or the Southlake 2035 Corridor Planning Committee). 3) Other direction provided by City Council and the Planning & Zoning Commission/Sign Board. Joint City Council – P&Z/Sign Board Meeting | November 4, 2019 Page 6 of 6 Staff Recommendation: RPAI has brought a draft of the proposed master sign plan for Southlake Town Square and the proposed amendments to the Downtown District guidelines or staff review. Based upon this preliminary review staff recommends moving forward with option 1 or 2 identified above. Attachments: (A) Proposed Master Sign Plan and Downtown District Regulations for Southlake Town Square (B) Proposed Amendments for Downtown District Guidelines (C) Sign Definition Comparisons Matrix Staff Contact: Ken Baker – (817) 748-8067 Dennis killough (817)-748-8072 Jerod Potts – (817) 748-8195