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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/26/2001 ZBA minutes 23SR-200 MINUTES OF THJE REGULAR MEETING OF THE MOUNT PROSPECT ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS CASE NO. ZBA-23SR-2001 Hearing Date: July 26, 2001 PETITIONERS: Icon Identity Solutions, Sign Installer, for Warren Hardie Leiserv Inc. (Brunswick Zone) 1 N. Field Court Lake Forest, IL 60045 PUBLICATION DATE: . July 11, 2001 Journal/Tol~ics REQUEST: Special Use for an Electronic Message Board Sign and Variation for a 323 s.f. Wall Sign MEMBERS PRESENT: Hal Ettinger Merrill Cotten Leo Floros Richard Rogers Keith Youngquist Arlene Juracek, Chairperson MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Judy Connolly, AICP, Senior Planner Mike Blue, AICP, Community Development Deputy Director INTERESTED PARTIES: Denice Joyce Chairperson Arlene JUracek called the meeting to order at 7:33 p.m. The minutes of ~he'June 28, 2001 meeting were approved 4-0; Merrill Cotton and Keith Youngquist were not at the June meeting. At 9:35, after the ZBA heard five other cases and tabled Case No. ZBA-21-01 to the August 23'd meeting, Chairperson Arlene Juracek introduced Case No. ZBA-23SR-01, a request for a Special Use for an Electronic Message Board Sign and Variation for a 323 s.f. Wall Sign. Judy Connolly, Senior Planner, introduced the staff memorandum for the case. Ms; Cormolly stated that the subject property is zoned B3 and is used as a bowling alley. The site was recently purchased and is in the process of being updated to a Brunswick Zone Bowling Alley. As part of the improvements, the existing signs will be removed and replaced with new signs that reflect the new ownership. The petitioner is seeking a variation to construct a wall sign that is larger than the 150 square feet that is permitted by the Sign Code and a Special Use permit to install an electronic message board as part of the freestanding sign. Ms. Connolly said there are currently two wall signs displayed on the building. The text sign, "Thunderbird Lanes" measures 7' x 48' (336 sq. ft.) and the box placed around the logo, a bird, measures 13.5' x 22' (297) totaling 633 square feet. According to Village records, the existing signs were installed in 1977, which was before the current Sign Code regulations were adopted in 1986. She said that the Sign Code required nonconforming freestanding signs to be removed or receive a variation by 1996, but did not make provisions for removing nonconforming wall signs. Therefore, the wall signs were allowed to remain. Since the wall signs will be removed, they are no longer grandfathered in and the new signs must comply with current Sign Code requirements. Ms. Connolly described the proposed wall sign as broken into an 8' x 34.5' measurement and a 9'1" x 18.5' measurement which creates a 323 square foot wall sign. The building is located perpendicular to Rand Road, and the center of the proposed wall sign will be 270-feet from Rand Road, the west property line. In the past, the Sign Review Board reviewed requests for code relief from the Sign Code. Variations were granted for larger wall signs when businesses were located a significant distance from the right-of-way and had large front elevations (signable areas). Zoning Board of Appeals ZBA-23 SR-01 Arlene Juracek, Chairperson Page 2 The Jewel at 392 & the K-Mart at 366 are comparable to this request. Ms. Connolly said that, in order to approve the petitioner's request for a 323 square foot wall sign, the Zoning Board must find that: the sign allowed under code regulations will not reasonably identify the business; the hardship is created by unique circumstances and not serve as convenience to the petitioner, and that the hardship is not created by the person presently having an interest in the sign or property; the variation will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to other property or improvements in the neighborhood; the variation will not impair visibility to the adjacent property, increase the danger of traffic problems or endanger the public safety, or alter the essential character of the neighborhood; and be in harmony with the spirit and intent of the Sign Code. Ms. Connolly explained that the basis for granting other variations for larger wall signs was that the signs were being placed on expansive front elevations that were set back behind a large parking lot. The justification for the proposed wall sign is consistent with the findings for the previous cases. The proposed variation is in keeping with the Standards for Sign Variations listed in the Sign Code and Staff recommends that the Zoning Board approve the petitioner's request to install a 323 square foot wall sign for the property at 824 E. Rand Road. The Zoning Board's decision is final for this request. The second part of the case was a request for an Electronic Message Board Sign. Ms. Connolly said the text, graphic, and message band on the proposed freestanding sign face measures 53.75 square feet. The sign measures 12-feet from grade to the top of the sign meets applicable sign code requirements for height and size of a freestanding sign. She said that electronic message centers are listed as Special Uses in the Sign Code. The proposed electronic message board will be 12.5 square feet and have one line of text to promote events relevant to the operation of the bowling alley. The ZBA may approve Special Uses if the request meets the standards listed in the Sign Code, which relate to: protection of public safety and welfare; harmony with the scale and architecture of nearby buildings and signs; lack of negative impacts on adjacent properties or signs; and compliance with other provisions of the Sign Regulations. Ms. Counolly said the proposed electronic message board would be on a freestanding sign along a pnajor arterial road, adjacent to commercial uses. The sign is located over 1,000-feet from the Northwest Electric electronic message board, which was approved by the ZBA last year. The proposed design and materials are consistent with the proposed commercial building and other signs in the area. The sign meets all applicable Sign Regulations regarding height, size, and design. Ms. Connolly noted that as with other sign requests, Special Use signs are generally appropriate for most commercial and/or arterial road locations, but may present situations that need special consideration and/or control. Special Use approval for an electronic message center is intended to ensure that the sign meets safety and aesthetic concerns of the Village, as laid out in the standards described above. Ms. Connolly said that based on review of the Special Use standards, the design of the proposed sign, and its location on the site, Staff recommends that the ZBA approve the proposed Special Use to permit an electronic message center on the freestanding sign at the Brtmswick Zone, 824 E. Rand Road, with the condition that the electronic message center must meet the requirements of Section 7.330.A at all times. The Village may revoke this approval for violations of those requirements, i.e. it is determined that the electronic message poses a traffic hazard. Richard Rogers clarified that the wall sign faces south and does not actually face Rand Road although it can be viewed from Rand Road. He asked if landscaping was required for the freestanding sign. Ms. Counolly said that the petitioner has not sought relief from that requirement; therefore landscaping would be provided as required by the Sign Code. Mr. Rogers asked if public information messages would be required on the electronic sign and Ms. Connolly said yes and that the Sign Code requires it. Mr. Floros asked what the maximum size of the wall sign permitted by the Sign Code and the square footage being requested. Ms. Cormolly said the Sign Code permitted up to 150 s.f. for wall signs and that the petitioner was asking for 323 s.f. Mr. Rogers said that in the past, when a wall sign was located substantially far back from the street as in the case of Bally's Health Club and Office Max, the Sign Review Board allowed them to double the size of that sign. oning Board of Appeals ZBA-23 SR-01 Arlene Juracek, Chairperson Page 3 Denice Joyce, 2732 N. Newland in Chicago, was sworn in. Ms. Joyce said that she is the Permit Coordinator for Icon Signs. She commended Ms. Connolly on her presentation of the case and said that originally they requested a sign that measured close to 600 s.f., but worked with Ms. Cormolly to reduce the size of the sign so it was large enough to meet the clients' needs and was similar in size to previous wall signs approved by the Village in the past. Ms. Joyce said that they have reduced the wall sign to the smallest size possible to accommodate the letterset necessary to be seen fi.om the substantial setback from Rand Road. At 9:55, Cha'mperson Juracek closed the public hearing and asked for discussion fi.om the Zoning Board members Richard Rogers moved to make a recommendation to allow a 323 square.foot wall sign at 824 East Rand Road, Brunswick Zone, Case No. ZBA-23SR-01, with the condition that there be no additional signs on the front of the building. Merrill Cotten seconded the motion. UPON ROLL CALL: AYES: Cotton, Ettinger, Floros, Rogers, Youngquist and Juracek NAYS: Motion was approved 6-0 Richard Rogers moved to approve the request for an Electronic Message Center at 824 East Rand Road, Brunswick Zone, Case No. ZBA-23SR-01, with the condition that it meet all sign ordinances. Keith Youngquist seconded the motion. UPON ROLL CALL: AYES: Floros, Rogers, Youngquist and Juracek NAYS: Cotton, Ettinger Motion was approved 4-2. At 10:00 p.m., Merrill Cotten made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Hal Ettinger. The motion was approved by a voice vote and the meeting was adjourned. Barbara Swiatek, Planning Secretary