HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report STAFF REPORT
Project Manager: Crissy Hartl Report Date: March 7, 2007
Email: chartl@cstx.gov Meeting Date: April 3, 2007
Project Number: 07-00500040
APPLICANT: Robert Wilson, President, FE Aggieland, Inc.
REQUEST: Additional 27.5 square feet of attached signage.
LOCATION: 700 University Drive East, Suite 101
University Park East Subdivision, Lot C
PURPOSE: To increase the identification of the business, placing an
additional attached sign on the rear of the building.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Status of Applicant: Business Owner
Property Owner: Almaden Valley Tseng Investments, LLC.
Applicable Ordinance Section:
Section 7.4.1.2 Attached Signs - Attached Signs on any
commercial building or tenant lease space shall not
exceed a total of two and a half (2.5) square feet per linear
foot of all public entry facades.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Zoning and Land Use
• Subject Property: C-1, General Commercial, developed as University Park
East Shopping Center
• Northeast: Rosa's Café, C-1 General Commercial
• Northwest: University Drive East
• Southeast: R-4 Multi-Family Residential developed as four-plexes
• Southwest: R-1 Single-Family developed as single family residential
Frontage: The University Park East Shopping Center has
approximately 450 feet of frontage on University Drive
East and approximately 870 feet on Tarrow Street. The
lease space is approximately 275 feet from University
Drive East and 290 feet from Tarrow Street. The front
façade of the lease space faces Tarrow Street.
Access: The subject property m W ccessed from University
Drive East, Tarrow St et, and from the adjacent
commercial development tot northeast.
VARIANCE INFORMATION
Background: Fast Eddie's is a new commercial business that opened in
2006 within an end-cap lease space on the northeast side
of the University Park East Shopping Center. The front
façade measures 38 feet across which would allow a
maximum of 95 square feet for attached signage. The
applicant has recently installed an 82,5-square foot
attached sign to the front façade of the lease space, 12.5
square feet less than the maximum area allowed. The
applicant has requested an additional 27.5 square feet of
attached signage in order to place a 40 square foot sign
on the rear of the building.
ANALYSIS
Special Conditions: The applicant states that their angled storefront and
entrance of a larger end-cap lease space has limited the
amount of attached signage for the business. The
applicant would like the City to consider the total distance
of store frontage beyond the angled storefront for an
additional sign on the back of the building. They also state
that the sign will aid in the flow of vehicular traffic.
Hardships: The applicant refers to the special condition.
Alternatives: The applicant has not identified any alternatives; however,
Staff has identified alternatives to the variance request.
The applicant may reduce the area of the existing sign for
a larger second sign or work with the property owner to
develop a sign plan for the entire shopping center that
could allow them more sign area. The applicant also has
the option to provide another entrance on another façade
to allow more sign area.
Recommendation: Staff is recommending denial of the sign variance. It is the
opinion of Staff that the stated special condition does not
set this property apart from other commercial properties
that has resulted in a hardship.
SPECIAL INFORMATION
Ordinance Intent: The City Council recognizes that signs are necessary for
visual communication for the public convenience, and that
business and other activities have the right to identify
themselves by using signs that are incidental to the use on
the premises where the signs are located. The council
seeks to provide a reasonable balance between the right
of a person to identify his or her business or activity, and
the rights of the public to be protected against visual
discord and safety hazards that result from the
unrestricted proliferation, location, and construction of
signs.
Number of Property Owners Notified: 60
Responses Received: None as of date of staff report.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Small Area Map and Aerial Map
2. Application
3. Photo of business entrance and existing sign
4. Proposed additional sign