HomeMy WebLinkAboutP&Z MINUTES NOVEMBER 19, 1997~~
I • DATE: {111997)
Planning Zoning Special Meeting
11/19/97
6:30 P.M.
Present were: Chairman: John Millar
Members: Roger Muir
Jim Long
John Watson
Mary Ann Mounts
Doug Smith
Gary Steiner
Davawn Beattie
Ted Whyte
Mike Thueson
City Clerk: Rose Bagley
Attorney: Stephen Zollinger
Engineer: Joe Laird
RE: SIGN ORDINANCE
TOPIC: (500,38,,,SIGNS,MAIN STREET,BROULIMS)
John Millar opened the meeting. Joe gave the board a handout with
figures shOWing Some Of the existing signs at S~"ioppiiig CeiiterS arCuaid
Rexburg and information. John Millar reviewed with the board the
figures and illustrations. (attached) The only signs on that block was
one at Food Center, All Season Sports, which is about 30 feet tall,
J.B.'s which is quite a small sign. As you drive down the street, there
are almost no signs on that side of the street. There is not a need
for a lot of competition.
The board felt that they waited until the last minute and designed the
sign and why didn't the board see this proposal a long time ago? Robert
Broulims said as they went to Twin Falls they noted that all the
shopping center signs are the size they had designed which is 295
Square Feet. Previously they had designed the sign at 325 Square Feet.
They had scaled it down to 295 Square Feet including the tenants.
Mary Ann stated that she had driven around Rexburg and also in Utah and
did not feel we need large signs. Why do people think the bigger the
better especially because you are not trying to attract people off the
freeway? The signs on Main Street are relatively small, so why the
need for a large sign? Mr Broulim stated the sign in Rigby is much
bigger and they would like that size. He said they would have some
businesses within the store they would like to advertise. Mr Broulim
said he was sorry they were slow getting this sign request in.
John Millar stated at later date we need to address the 200 square
feet of off premises sign in the ordinance, because it seems that they
should be able to put 200 square feet signs on their own property. We
• need to amend our ordinance.
~i
r Gary Steiner questioned if they were building a bigger store, why they •
had to put in a smaller sign or couldn't they just move the sign they
have now? He-was told when we adopted our sign ordinance and we put a
lot of time and effort into it, we wanted to stay away from big signs.
Stephen told him yes we could object to him moving his sign because it
doesn't comply with our ordinance. (discussion)
Davawn asked John Watson if this sign could be scaled down to meet the
200 Square Feet and the 24 feet high requirement and be ethically
pleasing? John W. stated in his opinion, that is exactly what needs to
happen and signs should not be more than 200 square feet and exceed 24
feet high. Davawn agreed he felt the 200 square feet for off premise
should apply to the on premise. John Watson stated if the sign went in
as they are proposing, it would make any sign on that street look
tiny. That is why he feels it should be scaled down to comply with the
ordinance. If we allow this sign to go in we would encourage everyone
else to come in and say we want this big of a sign because you let
Broulims put one in. Davawn stated that we have done a lot of work on
this ordinance and he feels it is correct, although a Shopping Plaza is
not addressed in our ordinance.
Stephen stated if he sells four individual parcels, they could put up
four signs. He asked the board if the 200 square feet was the total
they are requiring? The board told him 200 square feet would be the
total. Stephen cautioned that they would be encouraging selling cff
these plazas in small chunks as opposed to a single development. In
order to put signs up for these tenants, the simple answer is to sell
them each a piece of the land and they can each put up a sign. How are
you going to deal with tenants? (discussion)
Doug Smith stated he had asked various people as they have come to his
office during the last week, what they would do if they had the
opportunity to decide what to do as far as signs in Rexburg. Everyone
told him they would like less signs. If that is what people want, then
we are not wrong in sticking with the ordinance.
John Millar asked Stephen what the options are where we are planning to
amend our ordinance? Stephen told the board, you could do the same
thing we have done on other things such as fences. You allow the sign
in contemplation to the amendment to the ordinance. You would be
granting them a temporary variance until such time as the ordinance
applies. Davawn stated the same time we amend the ordinance we need to
address shopping plazas.
A motion was made by Davawn to allow a 200 square feet of sign, 24'
high to be consistent with off premise signs and to amend the ordinance
at which time the next available housekeeping amendment is done and to
allow such signs until such time as the ordinance is amended.
(discussion) We also need to address if pieces are sold off what we
would do. 200 square foot would be allowed for free standing signs,
they could put what they want on the store front.
Stephen made a recommendation that we decide how much square footage we •
are going to give the anchor store and then allow them a reasonable
~, amount for tenants. He recommends that if we give the anchor store 200
square feet then you give the tenants each 32 square feet or something
that relates to the number of businesses they are going to be
advertising. We could also have a restriction on the number of square
footage per site. You can't tie one persons property into a second
person's property. (discussion) Davawn's motion was seconded by Jim
Long.
Mr Broulim stated that they do own 33~ of the tenant property. He also
stated that there are some signs in the city that are bigger. He was
told they are old signs are grandfathered. There are no new signs going
in that are bigger than this one. The Broulim's sign is coming in
after the ordinance was passed.
Stephen suggested that one option would be to build the sign exactly as
they have it and drop the tenants right out of the middle and have
Lytle design it so those tenants signs can be added in at a later
date. The other option is take your three lines of ten inch black
changeable letters and convert that to tenants. You would not get to
advertise your sale items anymore.
John Millar asked for a vote on Davawn's motion which had been
seconded. Gary Steiner voting nay to the motion. All others voting
Aye. Motion carried.
~"~ Meeting adjourned.
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