Planning Commission Meeting

WEST VALLEY CITY PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 26, 2017 The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. by Vice Chair McEwen at 3600 Constitution Blvd., West Valley City, Utah. WEST VALLEY CITY PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS David McEwen, Brent Fuller, Mathew Lovato, Darrick Porter, Martell Winters, Cindy Wood, and Harold Woodruff ASBSENT Clover Meaders WEST VALLEY CITY PLANNING DIVISION STAFF Brock Anderson, Jody Knapp, Steve Pastorik, and Brenda Turnblom WEST VALLEY CITY LEGAL DEPARTMENT Brandon Hill AUDIENCE There were two people present in the audience. 3600 Constitution Blvd. West Valley City, UT 84119-3720 Phone (801) 966-3600 Fax (801) 963-3559 West Valley City Planning Commission July 26, 2017 Page 2 C-22-2017 Redwood Business Park Monument Sign 2850 S Redwood Rd C-3 Zone (1.3 Acres) The applicant, MHTN Architects, is requesting conditional use approval for a monument sign with bonus sign height. The zoning for the property is C-3, Transitional Commercial. The surrounding zoning is manufacturing to the north and west, and C-2 to the south and east. Adjacent land uses include office, light manufacturing, automobile service and restaurant. MHTN Architects is proposing to remove an existing multi-tenant monument sign and construct a new one for the Redwood Business Park. The new sign will be 9 feet tall and about 40 sq. ft. in sign area. In a commercial zone multi-tenant monument signs can be up to 7 feet tall with 60 sq. ft. of sign area. There is a bonus signage provision in Title 11 (11-4-111) where the Planning Commission can grant up to 2 feet of additional height for a monument sign. This sign could qualify for items a, c and e from that section: (1) The size of pole signs and monument signs may be increased as follows: a. 10 square feet in area and one foot in height when the sign is installed in a landscaped area four times the area of the sign; b. 10 square feet in area and one foot in height when a pole sign is removed and is replaced with a monument sign; c. 5 square feet and 6 inches in height when all signs in a commercial complex are designed with similar lettering, backgrounds and materials; d. 5 square feet and 6 inches in height when brick or rock columns are used as a vertical support; e. 5 square feet and 6 inches in height when the sign has a unique overall design; f. 10 square feet in area and one foot in height when an existing sign must be relocated due to a governmental action such as a roadway widening which results in a minimal setback area for the sign; g. An applicant may submit an alternative sign plan or design for unique and special circumstances, provided such sign(s) achieves the intent of the above standards and this Ordinance. The proposed sign needs at least 160 sq. ft. of landscaping to qualify for the bonus, and there is about 600 sq. ft. of landscaping proposed in the planting bed around the sign. The building façade will also get an update as the existing red awnings are removed and wood trellis awnings are installed. All existing wall signage will be changed to consistent aluminum wall signs. The overall sign design is unique in the choice of materials that are typically used for monument signs. The main material will be stained wood panels that will match the trellis on the building, with an aluminum column on one side that will match the wall signage. Redwood Road is a high image arterial road. The current landscaping along the frontage does not comply with the Redwood Road Streetscape, which requires a 15 foot wide landscaped berm with street trees spaced every 30 feet, a 10 foot wide sidewalk and a 5 foot wide planting buffer. Existing sites are only required to meet these standards if a substantial modification of over $50,000 is made to the site or structure. The proposed improvements do not trigger these streetscape requirements, but staff recommends that street trees be added along the frontage of the existing landscaping. Six additional West Valley City Planning Commission July 26, 2017 Page 3 trees, three on either side of the sign, would need to be added to what the applicant is already proposing. There are also two existing landscape islands in the middle of the parking stalls along the building. These areas currently don’t have any landscaping, and the applicant is not proposing to add any, but staff recommends that they be landscaped with at least 50% live plant material. The original landscape plan shows trees in both of these islands as well, but if street trees are added along the frontage staff feels that these trees would not be necessary. Staff Alternatives: Approval, subject to the resolution of any concerns raised at the public hearing, as well as the following conditions: 1. The sign can receive 2 feet of bonus sign height and shall be constructed per the approved plan. 2. All requirements set forth in Title 11 of the West Valley City Municipal Code shall be met. 3. A building permit must be issued for the sign. 4. The landscaping shall be installed per the approved plan, with the addition of 50% live plant material in the middle two parking islands and 6 additional street trees along the frontage. Continuance, for reasons determined at the hearing. Applicants: Robert Pinon, MHTN Dara Appelfeller, MHTN 420 East South Temple, Suite 100 420 East South Temple, Suite 100 Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 Discussion: Robert Pinon said the California based owner recently purchased the property. The owner wishes to revitalize the office campus so that it may be leased in its entirety. Commissioner Woodruff asked what the requirements are for approval of a bonus sign. Brock Anderson said typically the landscape requirement around a sign is two times the area of the sign. If landscaping is increased to four times the area of the sign, an additional one foot of height may be added to the sign. An additional 6” may be added if the overall signage is consistent through the site, and another 6” for unique sign design. Motion: Commissioner Lovato moved to approve C-22-2017 subject to the four items listed in the staff report. Commissioner Fuller seconded the motion. Vote: Commissioner McEwen Yes Commissioner Fuller Yes Commissioner Lovato Yes Commissioner Porter Yes Commissioner Winters Yes Commissioner Wood Yes Commissioner Woodruff Yes West Valley City Planning Commission July 26, 2017 Page 4 Unanimous – C-22-2017 – Approved Approval of Minutes from July 12, 2017 (Regular Meeting) Approved Approval of Minutes from July 19, 2017 (Study Session) Approved There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, _____________________________________ Brenda Turnblom, Administrative Assistant