HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report STAFF REPORT
Project Manager: Jennifer Flanery Date: January 23, 2003
Email: jflanery@ci.college- station.tx.us
ZBA Meeting Date: February 4, 2003
APPLICANT: Carol Nichols, Bee Creek Neighborhood Association
REQUEST: Sign setback variance
LOCATION: 1316 Augustine and 1801 Southwood
PURPOSE: To place Neighborhood Area Identification signs on two
existing walls.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Status of Applicant: President of the Bee Creek Neighborhood
Association
Property Owner: Ruth Spears (1801 Southwood)
Katy Roland & Betty Graves (1316 Augustine)
Applicable
Ordinance Section: Section 12, Table II, Summary of Sign Regulations,
Area Identification
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Zoning and Land Use:
Subject Property: 1801 Southwood Drive and the surrounding area is
zoned and developed R -1 Single Family Residential.
1316 Augustine Court and the property to the north,
east and west are zoned and developed as R -1 Single
Family Residential and the property to the south is
zoned R -6 and developed as apartments.
Frontage: 1801 Southwood Drive has frontage on Southwood and
Southwest Parkway and takes access to Southwood Drive.
1316 Augustine Court has frontage on Augustine and
Southwood Drive and takes access to Southwood Drive.
Topography &
Vegetation: Relatively flat and little vegetation
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VARIANCE INFORMATION
Setback Required: A setback of 10 feet from the right -of -way is required for
Area Identification signs.
Setback Requested: 0 feet from the right -of -way.
Case Overview: This case involves two existing brick walls that are
approximately 3 feet in height and are located along the
property line. The Neighborhood Association wishes to
place letters one foot in height on the existing walls.
The addition of the letters will now make the wall a sign.
In order for the letters to be placed on the wall this
variance must be granted.
The applicant is requesting a 10 -foot variance to the
required setback for an Area Identification sign.
ANALYSIS
Special Conditions: As a special condition that applicant states that: there
was no land allocated at the time of subdivision
development for a neighborhood gateway sign that would
comply with a 10' setback. The existing gateway brick
walls, located on the property lines of the existing
residential properties, were created by the developer to
indicate a distinct area of the greater Southwood
Subdivision.
Hardships: The applicant offers the following hardship: under the
current law we would not be able to mount the sign on
the existing gateway brick walls. If a sign were to be
placed 10' from the property line it would visually be
blocked by the existing gateway brick walls and be in the
middle of a residential property owner's front yard. If a
new sign were to be built in front of the walls, the Bee
Creek Neighborhood Association would need to request
a Private Improvement in a Public right -of -way permit
(PIP) and the sign would be in City ROW and would be
even closer to Southwest Parkway.
Alternatives: The applicant offers no alternatives
SPECIAL INFORMATION
Ordinance Intent: The purpose of the sign ordinance is to establish clear
and unambiguous regulations pertaining to signs in the
City and to promote thereby an attractive community,
foster traffic safety, and enhance the effective
communication and exchange of ideas and commercial
information.
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Area Identification signs are intended to identify smaller
neighborhoods or to identify particular sub areas of a
larger neighborhood. These signs should be located at
major intersections.
Number of Property
Owners Notified: 37
Responses Received: None as of date of staff report.
ATTACHMENTS
Location Map
Application with memo
Photographs of existing walls
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