Planning Commission Minutes 2014 10 09

Home Browse Search

Planning Commission Meeting Minutes October 9, 2014 Page 7 of 14 Troy Russ, Director of Planning and Building Safety, presented from Power Point: • Request to construct a nonconforming, freestanding sign in downtown Louisville. The Louisville Downtown Sign Manual governs all signs in Downtown including this portion of Highway 42 and Pine Street Plaza. The manual specifically says any waiver to the manual must go to the Planning Commission and City Council within the specific ordinance and the design guidelines. • The project is the American Legion building, located at 1150 East Street. Highway 42 and East Street both front the proposed sign location. It is south of Pine Street Plaza and the Pine Street intersection with Highway 42. • The Downtown Sign Manual specifically defines sign types. The applicant is requesting a freestanding sign which is consistent with the Downtown Sign Manual. • The copy area of a freestanding sign is 9 SF per side. The applicant is requesting 22.5 SF per side. • The Downtown Sign Manual is meant to be applied to a pedestrian -oriented walking downtown with a slow speed environment. Typically, monument signs or freestanding signs are not seen in Downtown because we have zero setback requirements. The applicant is asking for a waiver. • The applicant is asking for a waiver on the material. The Downtown Sign Manual requires opaque non -reflective material compatible with store front material, typically of stone or wood. The applicant is asking for vinyl and Lexan which is specifically not allowed in the Downtown Sign Manual. • The applicant is asking for a waiver on illumination. Signs are allowed to be lit in Downtown typically through indirect lighting, back -lit, or halo -lit signs, not internal cabinet signs. Neon is allowed. The applicant is requesting an internal -lit cabinet sign. • Staff analyzed the specific criteria regarding waiver requests. Staff thinks this is a completely different context than what the sign manual intended to govern. Staff feels it meets all the criteria that were applicable and measured against the Commercial Development Design Standards and Guidelines. Highway 42 is a high speed roadway with higher traffic volumes and right-of-ways. This building is set back further from Highway 42. Staff Recommendations: Staff recommends approval to the sign waiver request. Commission Questions of Staff.- Moline asks about the review against the downtown criteria. Russ says in regard to the specific review criteria for waivers, Staff found compliance. Moline says this seems to be an awkward way to apply for a waiver. Why don't all businesses along Highway 42 apply for waivers? This appears like "spot zoning". Russ says that Pine Street Plaza and the American Legion building are the only two buildings fronting Highway 42. Pine Street Plaza has an approved PUD. The buildings north of Pine Street are within the Mixed Use Urban Development Design Standards and subject to a different sign code. Pritchard asks about the future of Highway 42 and as it continues to evolve. Russ says that arguments can be made because of setbacks and volume of street. It is the long-term intention to manage the speed on Highway 42 and reduce it to 35 mph. The speed on Main Street, Front Street, and Pine Street is much slower. Staff is comfortable with the scale of this sign because East Street separates it further.