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Item 9C Department of Planning & Development Services S T A F F R E P O R T November 28, 2007 SP 07-417 CASE NO: Amendment to the Gateway Plaza Phase II Conditional Sign Permit for Weir’s PROJECT: Furniture REQUEST: This is an amendment request to the Gateway Plaza Phase II Conditional Sign Permit regulations to allow temporary banner signs for Weir’s Furniture. The subject property is located at 201 North Nolen Drive. Under Sign Ordinance No. 704-C, only one banner is permitted per lease space. Banners may be displayed for 15 days twice per calendar year with a 60 day separation between permits. The applicant is requesting to amend the Gateway Plaza Phase II Conditional Sign Permit for Weir’s Furniture to allow three banner signs for the store’s semi-annual sale. The signs are 3 feet tall by 20 feet wide and will be displayed for 30 days two times a year. One banner will be displayed on the north elevation facing S.H. 114, the second will be on the west elevation facing Nolen Drive, and the third will be on the south elevation facing East Southlake Boulevard. In addition, window signs that comply with the sign ordinance will also be displayed during the two semi-annual sales. Approval of a variance is needed to receive sign permits for the proposed signs. The specific variances requested are as follows: Sign Regulation Current Regulation Proposed Regulation Number of Banners 1 per lease space 1 per façade; 3 maximum Duration of Banners 15 days, twice per calendar 30 days, twice per calendar year with a minimum 60 year with a minimum 60 day separation between day separation between permits permits ACTION NEEDED: Consider amendment request. ATTACHMENTS: (A) Background Information (B) Vicinity Map (C) Site Plan (D) Proposed Signs (E) Existing Signs (F) Sign Variance Application STAFF CONTACT: Ken Baker (748-8067) or Jenny Crosby (748-8195) Case No. SP 07-417 BACKGROUND INFORMATION APPLICANT: Emily Teufel, Weir's Furniture OWNER: Mark Moore, Weir’s Furniture PROPERTY SITUATION: The property address is 201 North Nolen Drive. The building is located in the Gateway Plaza Phase II (Wyndham Plaza) development. STAFF COMMENTS: The sign criteria, site plan and application are attached to this report. N:\Community Development\MEMO\SIGNS\2007\SP07-417 Weirs (Gateway Plaza Ph II).doc Case No. Attachment A SP 07-417Page 1 Gateway Plaza Phase II Case No. Attachment B SP 07-417Page 1 Site Plan Case No. Attachment C SP 07-417Page 1 Proposed Banner Case No. Attachment D SP 07-417Page 1 South Elevation Banner (facing E. Southlake Boulevard) Case No. Attachment D SP 07-417Page 2 West Elevation Banner (facing N. Nolen Drive) Case No. Attachment D SP 07-417Page 3 North Elevation Banner (facing S.H. 114) Case No. Attachment D SP 07-417Page 4 Proposed Window Signs (No variance required) Case No. Attachment D SP 07-417Page 5 Existing Signs Southwest Elevation West Elevation (facing N. Nolen Drive) Case No. Attachment E SP 07-417Page 1 Northwest Elevation Case No. Attachment E SP 07-417Page 2 Sign Variance Application DEMONSTRATION Please demonstrate that the following conditions are applicable to the requested sign variance: 1. That a literal enforcement of the sign regulation will create an unnecessary hardship or practical difficulty on the applicant. If the sign regulation is enforced literally, Weir’s will not have signage exposure at the available street views of the property and will have to remove signs prior to the completion of the 30-day sale (“Weir’s Semi-Annual Sale & Savings”); both of which could result in a potential loss of revenue. Weir’s would request approval of three vinyl banners to maximize exposure of the available street views the site provides. We would also request the ability to display banners for two 30-day periods each year in perpetuity to coincide with our semi-annual sale. These two periods would be more than 60 days apart as required by the sign ordinance. We also plan to post window signs (size in accordance to the sign ordinance) in some of the first floor windows to advertise the semi-annual sale. 2. That the situation causing the unnecessary hardship or practical difficulty is unique to the affected property and is not self-imposed. Though the property technically has only one street frontage, the site offers views to three streets (SH 114, Nolen Drive and Southlake Boulevard). The sign ordinance allows for one banner which would limit the signage exposure to the available street views. Weir’s would like to take advantage of the three available street views for promoting the semi-annual sale. 3. That the variance will not injure and will be wholly compatible with the use and permitted development of adjacent properties. Weir’s is part of a larger retail development; all adjacent properties are of similar use and would not be impacted by the approval of this variance. 4. That the variance will be in harmony with the spirit and purpose of the sign ordinance. All signs (banners and window signs) are sized in accordance with the specifications outlined in the sign ordinance. The north (SH 114), west (Nolen Drive) and south (Southlake Boulevard) elevations measure 201’9”, 185’6”, and 201’9” in length respectively; therefore, the banners would be limited to 60 sq. ft. as specified in the sign ordinance. Case No. Attachment F SP 07-417Page 1