Item 10BCity of Southlake
Department of Planning
S T A F F R E P O R T
March 29, 2006
SP 06-146
CASE NO:
Amendment to the Conditional Sign Permit for Southlake Town Square –
PROJECT:
Grand Avenue District and Variance for Merrill Lynch
REQUEST: The applicant is requesting an amendment to the conditional sign permit for the Grand
Avenue phase of Southlake Town Square and is also requesting a variance to the Grand
Avenue conditional permit regulations for a specific site located at 286 Grand Avenue
to be occupied by Merrill Lynch.
The amendment to the conditional sign permit regulations is as follows. This will
regulate all future upper story attached signs in the Grand Avenue district (See
attachment C page 2):
Sign Regulation Current Regulation Proposed Regulation
Maximum letter/logo height 10 inches 12 inches
for upper story tenant
The variance requested for Merrill Lynch located at 286 Grand Avenue is as follows
(See attachment C page 4:
Sign Regulation Current (Proposed) Proposed
Regulation
Maximum letter/logo height 10 (12) inches 25 inches (logo)
The modification to the upper story letter size is needed because of manufacturing
problems in cutting letters at 10 inches for the type of signage being installed in the
Grand Avenue district.
The variance for the logo height is needed to keep the sign in proportion with the
companies trade mark while keeping the letters readable. The applicant prefers the
variance for the logo height rather than a permanent modification to the conditional
permit regulations because they do not believe this size logo is needed or appropriate
for all situations within the development.
Case No.
SP 06-146
ACTION NEEDED: Consider the amendment and variance request.
ATTACHMENTS: (A) Background Information
(B) Vicinity Map
(C) Plans and Support Information
(D) Sign Variance Application
STAFF CONTACT: Dennis Killough (748-8072)
Ken Baker (748-8067)
Case No.
SP 06-146
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
APPLICANT/OWNER: SLTS Grand Avenue, L.P.
PROPERTY SITUATION: The property is bounded by S.H. 114 on the north and Southlake Town Square,
Phase I on the south. The site specific variance request is located at 286 Grand
Avenue.
STAFF COMMENTS: The site plan, proposed amendment, elevations, and justification is included
with this report.
Case No. Attachment A
SP 06-146Page 1
Case No. Attachment B
SP 06-146Page 1
Site Plan
Case No. Attachment C
SP 06-146Page 1
Amendment to the Conditional Sign Permit
Section 2.0 - Maximum Letter Logo Height
Upper Story Fascia Signs (Multiple Occupancy Buildings)
Case No. Attachment C
SP 06-146Page 2
Merrill Lynch Variance
Case No. Attachment C
SP 06-146Page 3
Case No. Attachment C
SP 06-146Page 4
Case No. Attachment C
SP 06-146Page 5
Sign Variance Application
Demonstration
Please demonstrate that the following conditions are applicable to the requested sign variance:
That a literal enforcement of the sign regulations will create an unnecessary hardship or
1.
practical difficulty on the applicant.
Proposed change to regulations is consistent with Town Square sign program, and is required to
allow design and fabrication of “reverse halo lit” signage at second floor.
The logo variance request for Merrill Lynch is to allow them to communicate their strong brand to
the marketplace in an appropriate manner, in scale to the environment, to their brand and to their
national sign program. If we limited their logo height to 12”, it would make the letters in the sign
un-readable to remain in the trade mark scale.
That the situation causing the unnecessary hardship or practical difficulty is unique to the
2.
affected property and is not self imposed.
Signage requested is unique to the highly successful downtown environment that has been
established, which does not allow traditional “channel lit” signage at second floor.
That the variance will not injure and will be wholly compatible with the use and permitted
3.
development of adjacent properties.
Proposed regulations are compatible with Town Square development.
That the variance will be in harmony with the spirit and purpose of the sign ordinance.
4.
Proposed regulations are a natural extension of existing Town Square regulations which have been
established in harmony with the principles of the Sign Ordinance.
Case No. Attachment D
SP 06-146Page 1