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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Report CITY OF COLUMBIA HEIGHTS PLANNING REPORT CASE NUMBER: 2009-0303 DATE: March 3, 2009 TO: Columbia Heights Planning Commission APPLICANT: City of Columbia Heights LOCATION: City Wide REQUEST: Zoning Amendment for Signage in Design Guidelines District PREPARED BY: Jeff Sargent, City Planner INTRODUCTION The Design Guidelines were adopted by the City Council after one year of preparation by a citizens group that included residents, as well as Central Avenue business owners. The guidelines were established to increase the visual appeal and pedestrian orientation of certain major street corridors within the city, thereby increasing the economic vitality of these corridors, and supporting the goals of the Comprehensive Plan. The guidelines represent the minimum standards for design quality and have been implemented by Discount Tire, Advanced Auto Parts, and Grand Central Lofts, all on Central Avenue. Ryland Homes, Inc. and Schafer Richardson have also used the guidelines in the redevelopment of the Industrial Park. The intent of the Design Guidelines is to give the Planning Commission and City Council greater discretion on the design of new construction in the City of Columbia Heights. th Currently any type of new development along Central Avenue and 40 Avenue need to receive approval from the Planning Commission via the Site Plan Approval process. This includes existing businesses that want to add more signage or increase the size of their current sign. Staff has received several concerns from new businesses that want to erect signs, but have to wait for up to two months in order to gain site plan approval from the Planning Commission. In order to accommodate new businesses in the City, Staff recommends amending the Zoning Code to allow the issuance of new sign permits for existing tenant spaces without needing a site plan approval to do so. Staff feels that this would appease new businesses who want to place signs on their business as soon as possible, without having to wait for up to two months. It should be noted that signs that are a part of a new City of Columbia Heights Planning Commission March 3, 2009 City of Columbia Heights, Design Guideline SignageCase # 2009-0303 development in the Design Guidelines District would still require site plan approval. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN One of the goals of the Comprehensive Plan is to preserve and enhance the existing viable commercial areas within the community, and to promote reinvestment in properties by the commercial and industrial sectors. The proposed Zoning Amendment would allow for new businesses to erect their signage as soon as they could, rather than waiting for a site plan approval. This would aid to the promotion of reinvestment into the commercial sectors of the City. ZONING ORDINANCE Section 9.113 (D)(4)(a) of the Zoning Code states that the Design Guidelines shall apply to all nonresidential, mixed-use and/or multi-family buildings, and to the following activities: 1. New construction; 2. Any exterior changes, including repainting, with the exception of replacement or repair of existing materials; 3. Any internal remodeling or expansion activity that increases the overall size of the building by 10% or more; 4. Any development or expansion of parking areas that would result in a lot with more than four parking spaces; and 5. Minor alterations such as repainting may be handled administratively, as determined by the City Planner. Staff recommends including language that would allow for the installation of new signage on existing buildings to be handled administratively, as determined by the City Planner. FINDINGS OF FACT Section 9.104 (F) of the Columbia Heights zoning code requires that the City Council make each of the following four findings before approving a zoning amendment: 1. The amendment is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. One of the goals of the Comprehensive Plan is to preserve and enhance the existing viable commercial areas within the community, and to promote reinvestment in properties by the commercial and industrial sectors. The proposed Zoning Amendment would allow for new businesses to erect their signage as soon as they could, rather than waiting for a site plan approval. This would aid to the promotion of reinvestment into the commercial sectors of the City. 2. The amendment is in the public interest and is not solely for the benefit of a single property owner. Page 2 City of Columbia Heights Planning Commission March 3, 2009 City of Columbia Heights, Design Guideline SignageCase # 2009-0303 The proposed amendment would affect all business owners throughout the city that are subject to the Design Guidelines. 3. Where the amendment is to change the zoning classification of a particular property, the existing use of the property and the zoning classification of property within the general area of the property in question are compatible with the proposed zoning classification. The amendment would not change the zoning classification of a particular property. 4. Where the amendment is to change the zoning classification of a particular property, there has been a change in the character or trend of development in the general area of the property in question, which has taken place since such property was placed in the current zoning classification. The amendment would not change the zoning classification of a particular property. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends including language in the Design Guidelines that would allow for the installation of new signage on existing buildings to be handled administratively, as determined by the City Planner. Motion: That the Planning Commission recommends that the City Council approve the proposed zoning amendment, allowing for businesses subject to the Design Guidelines to place signage on existing buildings without the requirement of a site plan approval. Attachments  Draft zoning ordinance Page 3