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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 1 - Staff Report - Gateway MarketplaceC H U L A VISTA 'g� may;`. i � w PANNING Q. COMMISSION AGENDA STA N i T i Item: I Meeting Date: 1127116 ITEM TITLE: Public Heaving: Consideration of a Planned Sign Program (PSP 15 -0003) for wall signs for the Gateway Marketplace commercial center on an approximately 9.87 acre site located at 40 North Fourth Avenue. Applicant: Jones Sign SUBMITTED BY: Jeff Steichen, Associate Planner REVIEWED BY: Kelly Broughton, Director of Development 5A4-6-�;> INTRODUCTION The Applicant has submitted a Planned Sign Program application for approval of commercial wall signage criteria for the Gateway Marketplace retail commercial center located at 40 North Fourth Avenue. It should be noted that the signage for this center consists of three stages of approval. The first two stages resulted in the previous approval of the sign criteria as well as the actual signage details of the fieestanding/monument signs. The third (and current) stage is for the establishment of wall signage criteria, which is now being requested for review and approval by the Planning Commission. The wall signage criteria will include size and locations of wall signs for all major and shop tenants within the retail center (see Locator Map, Attachment 1). ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The Director of Development Services has reviewed the proposed project for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and has determined that the project qualifies for a Class 11 Categorical Exemption pursuant to Section 15311 (Accessory Structures) of the State CEQA Guidelines. Therefore, no environmental review is required. RECOMMENDATION: That the Planning Commission adopt Resolution PSP 15 -0003 approving the proposed Planned Sign Program, based on the findings and subject to the conditions contained therein. BACKGROUND: The approval of signage for the Gateway Marketplace is comprised of three parts. The first part consisted of a Precise Plan previously adopted by Ordinance by the City Council on July 21, 2009, The Precise Plan included signage criteria for fi-eestanding signs which included deviations Planning Commission January 27, 2016 PSP15 -0003 Page No. 2 from the requirements of Chapter 19.60 of the CVMC regarding the number, height, sign area and separation requirements. The second pant consisted of the applicant proposing freestanding signage as part of their administrative Design Review application, which complied with the signage allowances outlined in the Precise Plan. In addition, the applicant worked with the City of Chula Vista Communications Office regarding the design of the City logos used within the monument signs along the northeasterly and southeasterly portion of the project. On July 30, 2015, the Zoning Administrator, in conjunction with their approval of the Gateway Marketplace shopping center, approved freestanding signage along the North Fourth Avenue frontage of the project. This approval was based upon the determination that the freestanding signage was consistent with the sign criteria contained in the previously adopted Precise Plan. At that time, the applicant had not yet determined the type of wall signage for the commercial center. Subsequently, the applicant finalized their wall signage design, and per section 19.60.050(J) of the CVMC, is requesting approval of the sign program in order to allow for deviations to increase the allowable wall signage area for certain wall signs. This constitutes the third part of the sign criteria approval process. DISCUSSION: Project Site Characteristics: The approximately 9.87 acre project site is located at 40 North Fourth Avenue, and will be occupied by the Gateway Marketplace shopping center. The site is bordered on the north by an existing retail center (located in National City), existing retail buildings to the cast, public storage facility to the west and a park to the south (Attachment 1, Locator Map). Project Description The project consists of a Planned Sign Program (PSP) which provides detailed wall signage locations and criteria for the major tenants and shops within the Gateway Marketplace commercial center. The PSP also includes signage criteria for the previously approved freestanding signs located within the center. The different sign types are shown in Attachment 4, Planned Sign Program and are listed below: • Wall signage graphics and criteria for major tenants • Wall signage and graphics for shop tenants • Window signage criteria • Freestanding sign graphics and criteria (previously approved by the Zoning Administrator) lVall Signs The PSP contains criteria for two types of wall signage. The first is for the four major tenants who will occupy the main building located on the western portion of the site. Signage proposed includes the primary wall signage for the major tenants as well as secondary signage for major services which occupy the tenant space. The second type of wall signage proposed is for the Planning Commission January 27, 2016 PSP 15 -0003 Page No. 3 shop tenants who will occupy the smaller building located near the intersection of North Fourth Avenue and "C" Street. 13f'indoii, Signage The PSP requests an allowance for tenants to utilize window area for signage. Any proposed wall signage area will be deducted from the tenant's primary allowable wall signage area. Window signs shall be restricted to graphic symbols or design elements except for a small area for defining store hours or similar business information. A maximum of twenty percent of the window area may be covered with signage. Freestanding Signage (previously approved) One freestanding pylon sign and three monument signs are being proposed along the North Fourth Avenue frontage. The pylon sign (Type A) will be located between the main entrance into the site and the northerly property line. It will be thirty five feet in height and will contain the name of the center and the name of the four major tenants. An eight foot monument sign (Type B) would be located along North Fourth Avenue near the northerly end of shop building F. This sign would contain the names of up to six of the shop tenants. Monument sign (Type C) would be placed in two different locations, one located at the southerly boundary near the intersection of North Fourth Avenue and "C" Street and one at the northerly boundary, just south of the Brisbane Street driveway entrance. These signs would contain the name of the center as well as contain the City logo. ANALYSIS: Compliance with Chula Vista Municipal Code With one exception described below regarding allowable sign area, the proposed wall sign criteria contained in the PSP is consistent with Chapter 19.60 of the Chula Vista Municipal Code (CVMC). Section 19.60.050.1, provides a definition of a PSP and indicates said PSP can be submitted for review and approval by the Planning Commission to allow deviations to the sign regulations. The following summarizes the Planned Sign Program and how the proposed sign criteria comply with or deviate from the regulations described in Chapter 19.60. i3'all Signs The PSP contains two different types of wall signs. The first is for the major tenants. The majority of the requested wall signs are along the eastern elevation of the major tenant building. The request is to allow one "major tenant" and one "secondary sign" for each tenant along this frontage. The area of the secondary signs will be reduced from the overall amount of sign area allowed. Section 19.60.540 of the CVMC allows for a maximum of three (3) square -feet per lineal foot of frontage as long as the sign does not exceed 50 percent of the background area. The PSP proposes an allowable sign area of two and one half (2 1/2) square -feet per lineal foot of leased premises, which complies with this allowable sign area. Planning Commission. January 27, 2016 PSP15 -0003 Page No. 4 Additional wall signage is also being requested along the north and south elevations of the major tenant building with the same requested allowable sign area. This would allow corner tenants "A" and "D" to have one additional "major tenant" and one additional "secondary sign." Because these building elevations face parking areas, signage must comply with a different sign area allowance. According to the CVMC, building elevations facing parking areas are allowed a maximum of two (2) square -feet of signage per lease premises and a maximum sign area of 100 square -feet. The applicant is requesting deviations from these CVMC requirements as part of their proposed sign program. Specifically, they are requesting the same square footage of sign area be allowed for the wall signage on the north and south elevations (as allowed for the east elevation) and allowing an increase in maximum sign area from 100 square feet to 200 square - feet. Based upon the restrictions on sign length and height prescribed in the PSP, sign coverage of background area will not exceed fifty (50) percent of the background area. The second type of wall signage requested is for the shop tenants located in the two smaller shop buildings located near the southeast corner of North Fourth Avenue and "C" Street. The PSP requests allowance of an overall wall sign area of one and one -half (1 %2) square -feet of sign area per lineal foot of leased area. The height of sign lettering is restricted to a maximum of two and one -half (2 '/2) feet. Two rows of stacked letters are allowed as long as the maximum height of the two rows does not exceed five and one half feet which includes room to provide adequate spacing between the two rows. While there is a separate maximum sign area allowance for signage facing a dedicated street and that of signage facing parking areas, the requested sign area of one and one -half (1 '/2) square feet per lineal foot of leased area is below the allowance for both areas. Wall signage is proposed along all building elevations for each of the shop tenant buildings. Based upon the restrictions in sign length and height, the sign copy will not exceed fifty percent of the background area. ff'indow Signage The PSP allows window signs consisting only of graphic symbols or design elements. Said area of window signage will be deducted from the primary allowable sign allowance of the tenant. The applicant has revised this section to now restrict wall signage to a maximum of twenty percent of the window area. This is consistent with the requirements of section 19.60.500(A) of the CVMC. Freestanding Signage The PSP contains sign criteria for the proposed pylon sign and two types of monument signs which include size, height and location. However, because these freestanding signs (along with sign criteria) were previously approved by the Zoning Administrator, no staff analysis is being provided in this staff report. Staff recommends that the Planning Commission approve the design and location of the proposed wall signage, as depicted in the Gateway Marketplace planned sign program based on the findings and subject to conditions noted in the attached Resolution. Planning Commission January 27, 2016 PSP15 -0003 Page No. 5 DECISION -MAKER CONFLICTS Staff has reviewed the property holdings of the Planning Commission members and has found no property holdings within 500 feet of the boundaries of the property, which is the subject of this action. Consequently, this item does not represent a disqualifying real property - related financial conflict of interest under California Code of Regulations Title 2, section 18702.2(a)(11), for purposes of the Political Reforrn Act (Cal. Gov. Code section 87100 et seq.). Staff is not independently aware, nor has staff been informed by any City Councilmember, of any other fact that may constitute a basis for a decision maker conflict of interest in this matter. FISCAL IMPACT The application fees and processing costs are paid for by the Applicant. Attachments 1. Locator Map 2. Planning Commission Resolution PSP15 -4003 3. Disclosure Statement 4. Planned Sign Program