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Home My WebLink AboutINTERCHANGE SIGN HEIGHT - Applebees - 07-00191- Sign Ordinancei Memo To: Members of the Planning Commission From: Gary Leikness, Planning and Zoning Administrator Date: 3/1/2007 a cirr oe REXBURG Amenw1WmAy Gmmutiry Re: Sign Ordinance Amendment (Sign Heights Near Highway Interchanges) Sign Heights Near Highway Interchanges Sign Ordinance Modification- allowance of varying from height standard near highway interchanges. The Situation- It has been brought to the City's attention that signs placed near Highway 20, specifically interchanges, may be less visible to travelers due to our current sign height limit of 24 -feet. It has been requested that we review what modifications can, if any, be made to our ordinance to allow for signs near interchanges to have allowances to increase specifically height, and possibly bulk as well. Justification- Signs are intended to capture the attention of the pedestrian as well as the person traveling in a vehicle. Signs that are located near the City core and on local roads in general are designed to capture pedestrian and vehicles generally traveling less than 35 miles per hour. Those people may live in the City or visit often. It can be argued that signs located near interchanges are designed to capture an additional audience, those traveling at highway speeds, which are generally between 55 and 65 miles per hour. In addition, it can be argued that this group of people are generally less familiar with the area and may be "passing through." Therefore, one could conclude that it may be appropriate to modify the City of Rexburg sign ordinance to adjust for the factors involved with sign standards near highway interchanges. Pros and Cons- Below are the pros and cons for allowing a variation in sign heights that are near Interchanges. Two responses are provided for both the pro and the con, with additional blank spaces below allowing for Commissioner input. Pros - 1) Maybe perceived as being fair to those business owners who have more unique circumstances than other business/sign owners. 2) Allows potentially greater business visibility to highway travelers. 3) 4) cons - 1) May be perceived as favoritism to other business owners. 2) Line of site from the City for sunsets maybe impacted by increased sign heights. 3) 4) Possible Ordinance Language- Should the Commission wish to pursue an ordinance revision, below are several options for possible language modifications, or additions, to the sign ordinance which would allow for variation to our sign heights near interchanges. These ideas were taken from various ordinances and model ordinances available on the internet. Option 1= Allow for an increase in sign size and height that is within a certain distance of an interchange. • E.g. Signs within 500 (or 1000) feet of a highway interchange (right-of-way) may increase allowable sign size and height by twenty-five (25) percent (In Rexburg, this would allow an additional 6 feet in sign height) . Option 2- Allow for increase in height within 300 feet of a freeway interchange • E.g. Signs within 300 feet of a freeway interchange right-of-way shall be permitted an additional sign height of 25 -feet (In the case of Rexburg, this would allow a sign that is 49 -feet tall). Option 3- Near interchanges the sign height shall be based on elevation of interchange. • E.g. Signs within 300 feet of a highway interchange shall be permitted to increase sign height such that the top of the sign may be 12 feet higher than the highest road elevation of the adjacent interchange. Option 4- This option could be a mixture of the previous options, or one that the Commissioners creatively craft amongst themselves or individually. Please review this report and provide feed back. Staff, as directed, will move forward with setting up a hearing date for both the Planning Commission and the City Council, for both groups to hear an ordinance amendment. ATTACHMENTS Ordinance language of City in Georgia, specifically for oversized signs. Renderings for the to be proposed Applebees sign' ' Recently representatives brought a truck out to their proposed sign site and raised a sheet of wood 50 -feet in the air. Later they inserted an Applebees sign for the City to look at should we pursue this ordinance amendment. The photos are attached. Staff was able to drive up and down Highway 20 and look at the sign location and height. The photos were taken and modified by representatives of Applebees during this trip and sent to staff to submit to the -ommission for this discussion sign height modifications • Page 2 Gwinnett County, Georgia, Sign Ordinance Section 86-115. Oversized Signs. Oversized signs shall be permitted subject to the following restrictions: (1) Oversized signs may be permitted as an allowed use within the C- 2, C-3, and M-2 districts, or by Special Use Permit within the M-1 district, if located on properties that are adjacent to principal arterials, major arterials or state or national highways. Oversized signs shall be prohibited along Parkways or roads designated as residential arterials as shown in the Gwinnett County Comprehensive Plan. (2) Oversized signs shall not be placed within 500 feet of a dwelling, residential zoning district, county building, church, school, daycare, park cemetery, or right-of-way of a Parkway. (3) Oversized signs shall not be less than 1,250 feet from the limits of any overlay zoning district where they are prohibited, or from any other oversized sign in any direction, on either side of the same right-of-way or along another right-of-way. (4) Oversized signs shall be completely independent of any building or other structure, excluding the sign structure. (5) Oversized signs shall meet the area, public street frontage, side yard, and rear yard requirements of the zoning district in which located. (6) The maximum sign area of all display surfaces shall not exceed 700 square feet per sign structure. For double-faced signs, these maximum sign areas shall apply to each side of the sign structure. (7) No oversized sign shall contain more than two faces per side, nor more than two sides; provided, however, that no sign face may be located above another sign face. (8) The maximum height and minimum front yard setback from the street right-of-way for oversized signs are: Sign Face in One Minimum Direction Maximum Height Front Yard Setback 70 feet if adjacent 75 feet 350 square feet or greater to I-85 or I-985 40 feet (all other 75 feet roads) 300-349 square feet 30 feet 50 feet (9) An increase in maximum height of an oversized sign may be permitted provided the applicant for such an increase is granted a Special Use Permit by the Board of Commissioners after Page 19 of 24 Gwinnett County, Georgia, Sign Ordinance receiving recommendations from the Planning Director and Planning Commission and after a public hearing, subject to the following conditions: a. The increase in maximum height shall not exceed 25 percent of the allowable maximum height specified in the table above. b. The oversized sign shall be a conforming sign. C. The oversized sign has been blocked from view by subsequent development. (10) No more than three (3) oversized signs shall be permitted per quadrant of any interchange adjacent to I-85 and I-985 north of the S.R. 316 and I-85 interchange. These signs are restricted to an area 1,200 feet long beginning 500 feet from the point where the pavement widens on the main traveled way to accommodate the longest entrance or exit ramps. (11) No oversized sign shall be placed within the Mall of Georgia Overlay District. Section 86-116. Subdivision Directional Signs. l Subdivisf'on, directional signs shall be permitted within zoning / district, p vided they serve a temporary purpose, are intained in an attractive and sound manner, and are removed the owner's expense. They e intended to encourage pa ies involved in subdivision develo ent projects in proximity one another to work together and place di ectional information f multiple projects one sign or sign structure. Subdivision Direc 'onal Signs may be allowed for a period of time from he beginning the project until ten days following the sale of the nal pro ty. Subdivision directional signs shall be subject to the oll ing requirements: (1) Shall not be located w' in en feet of the pavement of any street and shall not permitte on any public right-of-way. (2) Shall not be it minated or affixe in any manner to trees, street or li t poles, utility pole other signs or sign structures. (3) Shall V made of wood. (4) Sh 1 include the name, address and phone number the owner or arty responsible for the removal and maintenance f the sign. This information must be written in weatherproof ink r paint on at least one face of the sign in letters not exceedin one-half inch in height. (5) Shall be located no greater than two miles or two intersections as shown on the Long Range Road Classification Map, whichever is Page 20 of 24 2Y.0" 296'1' 5� 4', B `a 1 c7 26 SQ VC (a 11) v) O i T _ 114-X 3a -o• 0 G Plds P620.m PA1sk35Df . PIPs 9348 Green HAS x 2W Nd EWMftH Llaih. #s0A9: DiTmES)@1i FABRICATED OF 2°%2'X3/16' ANGLE IRON FRAME .080 ALUMINUM FACE, .063 ALUMINUM FILLERS,& RETURNS, AND.080 ALUMINUM RETAINERS (APPLE GRAPHIC). NEON IS OUTLINE, 15 MM CLEAR RED TUBING WITHIN CHANNEL LETTERS, AND 15 M61 CLEAR RED APPLE BORDER 15 MM EMERALD GREEN RADIUS BORDER & APPLE STEM. 1311 so 1'F xmeeuaxom xeerwxa va�araxumla r�voronre W3:b m o c5 LOD --1. 3 P, APWu>t 0 II WAC„�;�5