Item 10ACity of Southlake, Texas
MEMORANDUM
March 1, 2002
TO: Billy Campbell, City Manager
FROM: Rick Black, Director of Public Safety (Ext. 242 1)
SUBJECT: Request for a variance to Sign Ordinance No. 704 -A for Ron D. Groves D.D.S. located at
2105 W. Southlake Boulevard, Suite 245.
Action Requested: City Council consideration of a variance to Sign Ordinance 704 -A.
Background
Information: Ron D. Groves D.D.S. is an orthodontists office located at 2105 W. Southlake
Boulevard, Suite 245.
Dr. Groves is requesting a variance to install a sign as shown on the attached plans.
This would vary the following sections of Sign Ordinance No. 704 -A .
• Section 16.A ATTACHED SIGN
• A3. MAXIMUM AREA: The proposed sign has a total area of 47 square ft. The
maximum allowed area for an attached sign is .75 square feet for every one foot of
width of building or lease space not to exceed 400 square feet. The store front at
this location is 30 feet, therefore the maximum allowed area would be 22.5 square
feet.
Staff Note: Applicant is seeking to utilize the existing " ORTHODONTIST " sign
from his present location within the same shopping center and to add his name in
smaller letters to the existing sign to differentiate it from a general clinic. The new
location is set back nearly twice as far as before (over 400 feet from the R.O.W.)
so letter height is not an issue. Sign area limitations by ordinance due to the
narrow store front would render a smaller area sign to be much less visible than
surrounding signs at this location.
Financial
Considerations: Not Applicable
Citizen Input/
Board Review: No citizen input has been received. Not subject to any Board review.
Legal Review: None
Alternatives: The council may approve the request, deny the request, or approve it subject to
whatever conditions they deem appropriate.
Billy Campbell
March 1, 2002
Page 2
Supporting
Documents:
Staff
Recommendation:
Variance Application Form
Site Plan
Ordinance No.704 -A, Section 16.A. 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.
Photo Rendition
Place the variance request on the March 5, 2002 City Council meeting agenda for
disposition.
RB /sv
The following sections have been excerpted from the Sign Ordinance No. 704 -A
SEC. 14 VARIANCES
The City Council may authorize variances to any restriction set forth in this ordinance, including but not
limited to the number, type, area, height, or setback of signs, or any other aspect involved in the sign
permitting process. In granting any variance, the City Council shall determine that a literal enforcement of the
sign regulations will create an unnecessary hardship or a practical difficulty on the applicant, that the situation
causing the unnecessary hardship or practical difficulty is unique to the affected property and is not self -
imposed, that the variance will not injure and will be wholly compatible with the use and permitted
development of adjacent properties, and that the granting of the variance will be in harmony with the spirit and
purpose of this sign ordinance. A person may request a variance from the Sign Ordinance by filing the request
with the Building Official. Any request for variance shall be accompanied by a completed application and a
non - refundable filing fee in the amount specified in the current fee schedule adopted by City Council.
SEC. 16 PERMITTED SIGN STRUCTURES AND GENERAL REGULATIONS
A. ATTACHED SIGN
GENERAL: Unless otherwise specifically provided, the regulations set forth in this subsection shall be
applicable to all attached signs which are allowed under this ordinance. Signs may not be attached to light
fixtures, poles, curbs, sidewalks, gutters, streets, utility poles, public buildings, fences, railings, public telephone
poles, or trees. The direct painting of signs on buildings shall be prohibited except for signs less than a three (3)
square foot area used for building identification.
MINIMUM /MAXIMUM LETTER/LOGO HEIGHT: The minimum height allowed for letters or logos shall be
six (6) inches. The maximum height allowed for letters or logos shall be based on the following criteria:
Distance From R.O.W. *
Maximum Letter/Logo Height
Less than 100 ft.
12 inches
101 - 150 ft.
18 inches
151 - 200 ft.
24 inches
201 - 250 ft.
30 inches
251 - 300 ft.
36 inches
301 and greater
42 inches
* - For any lease space which does not front on a street, the maximum letter /logo height shall be based on the
distance from the vehicular driveway access (see Appendix B' for further clarification).
MAXIMUM AREA: 0.75 square feet for every one foot of width of building or lease space not to exceed 400
square feet (see Appendix 'A' for further clarification).
4. NUMBER OF SIGNS: Only one attached sign per lease space shall be allowed along each street frontage on
any site, unless otherwise specifically provided in this ordinance. A secondary sign may be permitted at a public
entrance, provided the entrance is on another side of the building, but shall be limited to twenty -five percent
(25 %) of the primary or permitted sign size, whichever is more restrictive. The six (6) inch minimum letter /logo
height will not apply to these secondary signs. No more than two (2) attached signs shall be allowed per lease
space. Attached signs shall be located within the first story of the main exterior entrance for a building or lease
space (see Appendix B' for further clarification).
SIGN WIDTH: Attached signs shall be limited in width to the middle seventy five percent (75 %) of the width of
any building or lease space. In the event the lease space facade is horizontally articulated, the 75% rule shall
apply to the allowed sign to be located on any single plane facade (see Appendix 'B' for further clarification).
ROOF LINE LIMITATIONS: In no case shall an attached sign project above the roof line of any building,
except those attached to parapet walls and the sign may not extend above the parapet wall. Signs shall be no
closer vertically to the eave of the roofline or overhang than the predominant letter height (see Appendix B' for
further clarification). Signs may be attached to a continuous plane fascia, if the sign does not extend above or
below the projection of the fascia. Signs attached to fascia are only allowed when attached to structural canopy
supported to the ground by columns constructed of similar masonry material as the primary structure (See
Appendix B' for further clarification).
ILLUMINATION: Attached signs may only be illuminated utilizing internal lighting. Exterior letters with
exposed neon lighting are not allowed.
PROTRUSIONS: Attached signs may not protrude farther than eighteen inches (18 ") from the building,
excluding signs attached to canopies.
RESIDENTIAL ADJACENCY: Attached signs shall not be allowed on any facade (other than the main front of
the building) which faces property zoned for single - family residential uses if the sign is within one hundred fifty
feet (150') of the property line of said residential property.
Sign Variance Presentation
• Business: Ron D. Groves D.D.S.
• Address: 2105 W. Southlake Blvd. Suite 245
•
Request: Seeking to increase allowable sign area from 22.5 s.f.
to 47 s.f.
• Issue Facts : Business has 30 ft. store front.
allowed area is 0.75 s.f. per foot of store front.
0.75 x 30 ft. = 22.5 s.f. allowed area.
• Special Info.: Applicant is seeking to utilize the existing
" ORTHODONTIST " sign from his present location
within the same shopping center and to add his name in
smaller letters to the existing sign to differentiate it from
a general clinic. The new location is set back nearly
twice as far as before (over 400 feet from the R.O.W.)
so letter height is not an issue. Sign area limitations by
ordinance due to the narrow store front would render a
smaller area sign to be much less visible than
surrounding signs at this location.
• Ordinance Matrix:
Maximum area: 0.75 s.f. for every one foot of
width of building or lease space not to exceed
400 s.f.
Distance from R.O. W
Less than 100 ft.
101 -150 ft.
151 -200 ft.
201 -250 ft.
251 -300 ft.
301 and greater
Maximum Letter /Logo Height
12 inches
18 inches
24 inches
30 inches
36 inches
42 inches