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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Adjustments and Appeals - 01/08/1998 APPROVED MINUTES BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEALS THURSDAY,JANUARY 8, 1998 7:30 P.M. CITY CENTER COUNCIL CHAMBERS 8080 MITCHELL ROAD BOARD OF APPEALS MEMBERS: Chair Kathy Nelson, Cliff Dunham, Delavan Dye, William Ford, Louis Giglio, Matthew Hansen,Michael O'Leary STAFF LIAISON: Zoning Administrator Steve Durham and City Recorder Barbara Anderson CALL TO ORDER Chair Nelson called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. ROLL CALL Board member Ford was absent. • I. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION:Dunham, seconded by Giglio to approve the agenda as submitted. Motion carried 5-0. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - November 13, 1997 MOTION: Dunham moved, seconded by O'Leary,to approve the November 13, 1997 Minutes of the Board of Adjustment and Appeals as submitted. Motion carried 5-0. III. VARIANCES A. Request #98-1 by Hennepin Technical College for property at 9200 Flying cloud Drive to obtain approval to install a 126 square-foot ground sign with a 75 square- foot base and a height of 11.3 feet at the Hennepin Technical College's entrance (same location as existing sign). City Code Maximum size is 80 square feet, base maximum is 40 square feet and the maximum height is 8 feet. Sylvia Lee,representing Hennepin Technical College, whose main administrative offices are located at 9000 Brooklyn Boulevard in Brooklyn Center, introduced Ron Simon, from Moundsview, who was present representing the sign company. • Lee stated they have had to change the logo and letterhead of the college because of their becoming part of MnSCU (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities). The college colors have also changed, and they wish to change the sign to reflect these changes. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEALS January 8, 1998 • Page 2 They are limited in their budget but would like to have a sign to still identify the campus, since it is not visible from the road. Ron Simon described the proposed sign and how it will be illuminated. They will completely remove the old sign, but will use the existing concrete pad which will be left in place to construct the new sign. Dunham asked about the sign dimensions and Simon stated the old sign was 54" X 16' which does not include the logo brickwork. The new sign will be 21' long by 6'tall with skirting which is Yin height. The lettering used on the sign was 10 inches high. Dunham asked what they would be putting on the sign and Lee responded they put short messages related to what is going on at the school. The sign will be burgundy in color, and she noted the graphics did not accurately represent the color of the sign. There are existing low bushes around the base of the existing sign which will remain on the site and will mask some of the height of the sign. She noted they have requested to have the address on the sign which is something new and this will also help identify the facility. Dunham asked why the sign was going to be 5'high at the base and Lee responded that they have requested that height because their Maintenance Department informed them that it is necessary for depth of snow. Dunham asked what the hardship was and Lee responded that the building was not visible from Highway 212 and there was only one entrance, there was no location where they could locate a wall sign to identify the school, and the sign is over 90 feet from the road. O'Leary stated he was not aware that Hennepin Technical College was even located here until he had moved into Eden Prairie. Giglio asked if the old sign had been removed yet and Lee responded it was still in place. Giglio asked if they could scale down the size of the requested sign as it was not yet constructed and the proponent concurred that would be possible. Dye commented he felt it could be lowered a foot or so and it would still be a good-looking sign. Nelson asked if they were comfortable with forfeiting a second sign and Lee responded they have no plans to put up a second sign and it was agreeable to them. Johnson reviewed the staff report and the variances requested. She described the topography on the site. Staff felt a larger sign would be more visible given the location of the sign 90' from the road, the highway speeds and the desire to have continuity between the Brooklyn Park and Eden Prairie campuses. Giglio commented that in his mind the logo was separate from the rest of the sign and the sign part was the white portion with changeable copy. Hansen asked what the base of the sign was and Johnson responded it was a rectangle below the top portion of the sign. The base is 16' wide and Yin height which equals 64 square feet. Hansen asked if the changeable message portion of the sign was needed and Lee responded it was • definitely necessary for the college to have this section of the sign. Discussion ensued regarding ways to fit the message area of the sign within the code and the proponents stated that reducing the copy area was not what they wanted to do and it was necessary to have the height of the sign in order to properly portray the logo. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEALS January 8, 1998 • Page 3 Dunham asked if there was any way they could reduce the size of the sign. Dye commented that given the size of the letters it would make it impossible to put much of a message on the sign if they reduced the size of the message area. He did not believe it would be a problem to leave the sign as it was because it was aesthetically pleasing as designed. He did not believe it would adversely impact the vicinity. Giglio commented if the sign would help people find the college and reduce accidents on a busy highway then he was in support of the sign. Nelson inquired how much the message portion of the sign actually increased enrollment at the college and Lee responded that they often have open house type functions at the college which does draw people in from the "street" so to speak, and the message portion of the sign greatly facilitates advertising these types of functions. They have found that the combination of the logo with the changeable copy portion of the sign works best for their purposes. The Public Hearing was opened. No one present wished to speak. The Public Hearing was closed. • Giglio commented he felt the Board should approve the variance with the reduction of the base by V in height as there was no visibility of the college from the road. Dye commented the message board will be used to let people know about events and he supported the sign as proposed by Giglio. Dunham stated if the base were lowered a foot he would support the sign,but he had reservations about the size of the overall sign. They could put it closer to the road to get better visibility, but he supported the present location. Hansen stated he would not support the variances as requested and he was not convinced the copy portion of the sign was really necessary. He thought the color was too harsh and the sign could be softened up by having a couple of pine trees around it. O'Leary supported the sign as it was and if they drop the sign down it would be okay. He thought the bushes should be retained around the base of the sign to soften the appearance and the height. He noted that the real color of the sign would blend in well with the surrounding area,and noted the color in the graphics was not accurate. Nelson stated she could support lowering the sign a foot which would make the balance of the sign better. MOTION:Giglio moved,Dye seconded,to approve 126 square foot sign for Hennepin Technical College located at 9200 Flying Cloud Drive, with a height not more than 10.3 feet and the base to be 64 square feet, and maintain the existing vegetation or replace any that is damaged or lost, with the brickwork removed, and the right to a second sign is • forfeited. Motion carried 5-1. Hansen voted no. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEALS January 8, 1998 Page 4 IV. OLD BUSINESS Update on City Council review of the Board of Adjustment and Appeals decision of variance request#97-10 for Moore Leasing, Inc. Johnson stated the variance appeal had been continued to November and the applicant was not present. The Council upheld the decision of the Board of Adjustments. V. NEW BUSINESS Nelson noted that the City Open House for Boards and Commissions is scheduled for next week and she will be there. She requested other Board members to stop by and help out with this. The Open House is held from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Heritage Rooms at City Hall. Dunham commented he would probably be present for part of it. Johnson asked if there was anything the Board would like staff to have there, and Nelson thought a sample staff report might be good, along with something addressing the rules and regulations under which the Board operates. Dunham commented that pictures of the Board were in a magazine that came out and it might be nice to have some of these at the Open House. He also thought some graphics (similar to those used during a real variance Public Hearing)might be good. • VI. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Dye moved, seconded by Giglio to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 6-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.