Board of Adjustment

Planning Department June 24, 2013 The Board of Adjustment will hold its regular meeting on Monday, June 24, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AGENDA Welcome Visitors 1. Review and approve the minutes of the March 25, 2013, Regular Meeting 2. A Public Hearing requesting relief from Section 5.4.2 of the zoning code in respect to the section stating that the maximum total area for all permitted signs for a façade of any establishment shall not exceed 200 square feet for property located 2409 East Main Street, the existing Walmart Real Estate Business Trust, submitted by Brittany Lewis Permit Coordinator. (BOA.13.06.3598)  BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT MINUTES June 24, 2013 The Russellville Board of Adjustment met in its Regular Meeting, Monday, June 24, 2013, at 5:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers. Members Present: Acting Chairman Dusty Bonds, Secretary Aldona Standridge, Jimmy Sims, and Jim Davenport. Members Absent: Chairman Blake Tarpley Visitors/Officials Present: Mayor Bill Eaton, City Planner David Harris, Planning Assistant Lequitta Jones, and Brittany Lewis/Walmart. WELCOME VISITORS The First Order of Business was to review and approve the minutes of the March 25, 2013, Regular Meeting. Member Davenport moved to approve the minutes as written. The motion was seconded by Member Sims and passed unanimously. The Second Order of Business was a Public Hearing requesting relief from Section 5.4.2 of the zoning code in respect to the section stating that the maximum total area for all permitted signs for a façade of any establishment shall not exceed 200 square feet for property located 2409 East Main Street, the existing Walmart Real Estate Business Trust, submitted by Brittany Lewis Permit Coordinator. (BOA.13.06.3598) Ms. Brittany Lewis said their request was for relieve from 5.4.2 of the Zoning Code, which states that the maximum total area for all permitted facade signs for any establishment shall not exceed 200 square feet. The overall Walmart building frontage is 634’5”. The building sits approximately 600 feet from East Main Street. The current signage on the store (not including the 'McDonalds' sign) comprises 31 signs totaling 1132.35 square feet. The gas station currently has two signs totaling 60.54 square feet. The proposal is to reduce the number of wall signs to 14, with a total area of 665.67 square feet. The intent is to maintain the location of the gas station signage, but change the signage to the new logo totaling 37.28 square feet. The proposal would reduce overall building signage by 17 signs and 466.68sf. Overall gas station signage reduction would be 23.26sf. The site signs are being refaced and the structure will be painted. No structural changes will take place. No square footage of existing signs will be altered. The existing McDonalds tenant sign will remain. Although the new signage will not conform to Code, the amount of nonconformity will be greatly reduced from that of the current signage. City Planner Harris explained this is part of a remodel project to redo the signage. There will be no changes to the height and areas of the freestanding signs, but there will be significant changes to wall-mounted façade signage. On April 25, 2005 during construction of the store, Walmart representatives appeared before the Board of Adjustment and received approval of a variance to allow 1.161sf of total façade signage. The changes currently proposed would reduce to number of façade signs and result in a reduction in the total façade sign area to approximately 703sf. While still far in excess of the 200sf allowed, the 703sf total clearly is much closer to compliance. A primary component of the proposed façade signage is a combination of the “Wal-Mart” name with the” Spark” logo which together comprise 298sf, which is somewhat larger than the existing main Wal-Mart Supercenter sign. However, while this sign is larger than the sign it will replace the overall package would be a significant reduction in total area for the façade signage. Secretary Standridge made the motion to approve the signage variance as requested. The motion was seconded by Member Sims and passed unanimously. Adjourned. _________________________ Acting Chairman Dusty Bonds