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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPH 2 VARIANCE 88-2 04-18-88DATE: APRZL 18, 1988 PUBLIC HEARING NO. 2 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: WILLIAH A. HUSTON, CITY HANAGER CONHUNITY DEVELOI~ENT DEPARTHENT APPEAL OF PLANNING COI~ISSION DENIAL OF VARIANCE 88-2 APPLICANT: ONNER: _LOCATION: ,/QUEST: INTEGRATED SIGN ASSOCIATES 10845-D WllEATLANDS AVENUE, STE. D SANTEE, CA 92071 HONE FEDERAL 625 BROADWAY SAIl DIEGO, CA 92101 18231 IRVINE BOULEVARD AT TIlE INTERSECTION OF HOLT AVENUE TO PERHIT A TENANT IDENTIFICATION HONONENT SIGN RECONHENDATION Pleasure of the Council. SUI~4ARY On March 21, 1988 the City Counct1 appealed the Planntng Commission's denial of Variance 88-2, a request by Home Federal for 12 square foot tenant identification monument sign at 18231 Irvtne Boulevard at the intersection of Holt Avenue. At~ached is a copy of the report to the Planning Commission and corresponding resolution. ANALYSIS The enclosed report identifies the following findings: 1. That the proposed variance does not meet the ~ granting of a variance. required conditions for City Council Report April 18, 1988 Denial of Variance 88-2 Page two 2. That special consideration has already been made as a sign code exception previously was granted for Home Federal Savings. 3. That the granting of the requested variance could indirectly result in some adverse effects in the immediate area. The applicant has raised a concern that other banks in the area have freestanding monument signs. These banks include: Sanwa Bank; Coast Federal Savings; World Savings; California First Bank and Coast Savings. All of these banks have monument signs that are approximately 32 square feet. However, these banks are located in commercial districts, not a professional office district like Home Federal and are all located in individual freestanding buildings of 5,000 square feet or more. These freestanding banks meet the requirements of the Tustin Sign Code. Home Federal Savings is not a freestanding bank located in a commercial district and does not contain 5,000 or more square feet of floor area. Therefore, the Planning Commission has recommended denial of the variance application. CONCLOSIO# Should the City Council wish to reverse the.-:P'lanning Commission's denial of the Variance, a Resolution of approval No. 88-38(a) may be adopted. If the City Council chooses to uphold the Planning Commission's denial of the Variance, then Resolution 88-38(b) may be adopted. Joel av/j Assi' t~a~ Planner Cl~ristine A. Shlhgleton~~, Director of Community Development JS:CAS:ts:pef Attachments: Resolution No. 88-38(a) Resolution No. 88-38(b) Planning Commission Staff Report (3-14-88) Corn munity Development Depar~rnent 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 RESOLUTION NO. 88-38(a) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUSTIN, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE APPEAL FOR VARIANCE APPLICATION NO. 88-2 FOR HOME FEDERAL SAVINGS AT IRVINE BOULEVARD AND HOLT AVENUE. The City Council of the City of Tustin does hereby resolve as follows: I. The City Council finds and determines as follows: Ae That a proper application, (Variance No. 88-2), was filed on behalf of Home Federal Savings requesting authorization to vary from the requirements of the Tustin City Sign Code for the installation of a 12 square foot tenant identification monument sign. B. That a public hearing was duly called, noticed and held on said application. 15 Ce That because of special circumstances applicable to the subject property, relative to size, shape, topography, location or surroundings, a strict application of the Zoning Ordinance is found to deprive subject property of privileges enjoyed by other properties in the vicinity evidenced by the following findings: 1. Other banks in the immediate area have existing tenant identification monument signs which are much larger (an average of 32 square feet) than the 12 square foot sign proposed by Home Federal Savings. 18 19~ That the granting of a variance as herein provided will not constitute a grant of special privileges inconsistent with the limitations upon other properties in the vicinity in which the subject property is situated as variances have been granted in the past for other banks with similar types of signs. 21 22 23 24 25 That this project is categorically exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act.(Class II.) That the granting of the variance as herein provided will not be contrary to the intent of the Zoning Ordinance or the public safety, health and welfare, and said variance should be granted. Proposed development shall be in accordance with the development policies adopted by the City Council and Uniform Building Codes as administered by the Building Official. 27 28 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 22 23 24 2¢ 27 Resolution No. 88-38(a) Page two Final sign plans shall require the review and approval of the Community Development Di rector. II. The City Council grants a variance as applied for, to authorize the installation of a 12 square foot tenant identification monument sign at 18231 1trine Boulevard subject to the following conditions: Ae The proposed project shall substantially conform with the submitted site plan for the project on file with the Community Development Department, as herein modified, or as modified by the Director of Community Development. Unless otherwise specified, the conditions contained herein, shall be complied with prior to the issuance of any building permit for the project, subject to review and approval by the Community Development Department. Co At building plan check, construction plans and structural calculations must be submitted. Requirements of the Uniform Building Codes must be complied with as approved by the Building Official. That any modificatilo~S: including size, shape, color and materials of these signs shall require a separate variance application. PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Tustin City Council, held on the day of , 198___. RONALD B. HOESTEREY, Mayor MARY WYNN, City Clerk 28 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1(;,, 17 18 19 gO 9.1 22 24 ~5 27 28 RESOLUTION NO. 88-38(b) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUSTIN, DENYING THE APPEAL FOR VARIANCE APPLICATION NO. 88-2 FOR HOME FEDERAL SAVINGS AT IRVINE BOULEVARD AND HOLT AVENUE. The City Council the City of Tustin does hereby resolve as follows: The City Council finds and determines as follows: That a proper application, {Variance No. 88-2), was filed on behalf of Home Federal Savings requesting authorization to vary from the requirements of the City of Tustin Sign Code for the installation of a 12 square foot tenant identification monument sign. Bm That a public hearing was duly called, noticed and held on said application. That because of special circumstances applicable to the subject property, relative to size, shape, topography, location or surroundings, a strict application of the Zoning Ordinance does not deprive subject property of privileges enjoyed by other properties in the vicinity and under identical zone classification, evidenced by the following finding: 1. The only existing monument signs in the vicinity are for center identification purposes in the professional office zone. De That the granting of a variance as herein provided will constitute a grant of special privileges inconsistent with the limitations upon other properties in the vicinity and district in which the subject property is situated as other freestanding commercial uses with less than 5,000 square feet of floor area in the existing office district are not allowed to have tenant identification monument signs under the Tustin Sign Code. That this project is categorically exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. (Class 11.) That the granting of the variance as herein provided will be contrary to the intent of the Zoning Ordinance or the public safety, health and welfare, and said variance should not be granted. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Resolution No. 88-38(b) Page t~o II. The City Council hereby denies Variance No. 88-2. PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Tustin City Council, held on the day of , 1988. ~ONALD B. HOESTEREY, Mayor MARY WYNN, City Clerk Report to Planning the Commission Item No. 5 DATE: SUBJECT: APPLICANT: OWNER: LOCATION: ZONING: ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS: REQUEST: MARCH 14, 1988 VARIANCE 88-2 INTEGRATED SIGN ASSOCIATES 10845-0 WHEATLANDS AVENUE, STE. O SANTEE, CA 92071 HOME FEDERAL 625 BROADWAY SAN DIEGO, CA 92101 18231 IRVINE BOULEVARD AT THE INTERSECTION OF HOLT AVENUE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE (PR) CATEGORICALLY EXEMPT CLASS 11 TO PERMIT A TENANT IDENTIFICATION MONUMENT SIGN. RECO~ENDATION That the Planning Commission deny Variance No. 88-2 by adoption of Resolution No. 2472. BACKGROUND Applicant wishes to construct a tenant identification monument sign for ~Iome Federal Savings located at the northwest corner of Irvine Boulevard and Holt Avenue. The tenant, is located in the Professional Office {PR) zone and the building is a multi-tenant professional office center. The Tustin Sign Code states that monument signs are allowed in the Professional Office district for center identification only, no tenant names are to be advertised on a center identification sign. Therefore, the requested sign requires a variance. Community DeveLopment Department Planning Commission Meeting March 14, 1988 Variance No. 88-2 Page two According to the Sign Code, a Variance may be granted subject to the following conditions: That because of exceptional circumstances applicable to the subject property, the strict application of this Chapter is found to deprive subject property of privileges enjoyed by other properties in the vicinity under similar circumstances. o That the variance shall be subject to such conditions as will assure that the adjustments thereby authorized will not constitute a grant of special privileges inconsistent with the limitations upon other properties in the vicinity and district in which the subject property is located. ANALYSIS In reviewing the proposed variance request, staff have determined the following: The proposed variance for the tenant identification monument sign does not meet the required conditions whtck"-are required for the granting of a variance. There is currently a mixture of office and commercial uses in the immediate vicinity of Home Federal Savings and the only existing monument signs in the vicinity are for center identification. These signs identify the "Craddock" office complex, and the "Courtyard". The existing office complexes directly to the west do not have any monument signs. Additionally, other banks and savings and loans in the nearby vicinity do not have tenant identification monument signs. These financial institutions are Home Savings of America and Citicorp Bank, which are located within the same block as Home Federal. Home Federal Savings is, therefore, not deprived of privileges that other properties enjoy in the vicinity under similar circumstances. As such, the granting of this variance would constitute a grant of special privileges inconsistent with the limitations on adjacent properties in the area. Special consideration has already been made to allow Home Federal Savings more sign area than is typically allowed by the Sign Code . In July of 1986, Home Federal Savings was granted a sign code exception which allowed an additional 20 square feet more than the Sign Code allows for a front wall sign. The wall signs located on the front and west side of the building that Home Federal Savings occupies are clearly visible from both Irvine Blvd. and Holt Avenue. Community DeveloPment Department Planning Commission Meeting March 14, 1988 Variance No. 88-2 Page three e The granting of this variance could result in some adverse effects in the i~aediate vicinity . Staff is concerned with the possible effects which could result from the approval of this variance. If the subject variance is granted, it could establish precedent and a basis for granting future variances of the same type. CONCLUSION Based upon the analysis discussion above, the Community Development Department staff recommends that the application for Variance No. 88-2 be denied.. JS:CAS:ts Attachments: Site plan Sign elevation Letter of justification Resolution No. 2472 Community DeveloPment Depar~men! ~/ nteg,rated HOME FEDERAL SIGN VARIANCE REQUEST Home Federal requests the approval of a low-pcofilc mcnumcnt sign as a business identification sign typically allowed comme£cial businesses. Home Federal is the major tenant in a building with both commercial and Professional tenants. As a result of the professional tenants located on the second floor,, the building has been designated a "Professional Building." However, the planning department has recognized the special circumstances here and had approved a 'sign program that allowed Home 'Federal wall signs under the commercial category with the other tenant signage calculated under the professional category. In. keeping with the design guidelines of the professional district, Home Federal has scaled down the size of the monument to 6 feet high and 12 square feet as opposed to 32 square feet allowed in the commercial district. We feel this would provide for Home Federal's identification requirements as a commercial business and maintain the design standards of the building and environment. 1 3 7 8 9 10 11 14 15 1G 17 18 19 21 22 24 27 RESOLUTION NO. 2472 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF TUSTIN, DENYING VARIANCE APPLICATION NO. 88-2 FOR HOME FEDERAL SAVINGS AT IRVINE BOULEVARD AND HOLT AVENUE. The Planning Commission of the City of Tustin does hereby resolve as follows: I. The Planning Commission finds and determines as follows: That a proper application, (Variance No. 88-2). was filed on behalf of Home Federal Savings requesting authorization to vary from the requirements of the City of Tustin Sign Code for the installation of a 12 square foot tenant identification monument sign. B. That a public hearing was duly called, noticed and held on said application. Ce That because of special circumstances applicable to the subject property, relative to size, shape, topography, location or surroundings, a strict application of the Zoning Ordinance does not deprive subject Rroperty of privileges enjoyed by other properties in - the-...,vicinity and under identical zone classification, evidenced by the following findings: The only existing monument signs in the vicinity are for center identification purposes in the professional office zone. That the granting of a variance as herein provided will constitute a grant of special privilege inconsistent with the limitations upon other properties in the vicinity and district in which the subject property is situated. That this project is categorically exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. (Class 11.) That the granting of the variance as herein provided will be contrary to the intent of the Zoning Ordinance or the public safety, health and welfare, and said variance should not be granted. Resolution No. 2472 Pa'ge ~wo 4 5 II. The Planning Commission hereby denies Variance No. 88-2. PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regul~ meeting of~ held on the .//~/fY'-~ day of ~/~2d~,.~ ~,/~ 8 11 'k,,. k Penni Foley, 121 Secretary 12 the Tustin Planning Commission, , 1988. rathy Weil, Chairman 14 15 18 22 24 25 STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF ORANGE ) CITY OF TUSTIN ) I, PENNI FOLEY, the undersigned, hereby certify that I am the Recording Secretary of the PlanniQg Commission of the City of Tustin, California; that Resolution No. ~c/~' was duly passed and adopted at a ~e~ular meeting of the ~u, sttn Planning Commission, held on the /~'/~-day of =/~ ~g~/,.'~.'..- , 198,.~_. PENNI FOLEY Recording Secretary