TO: Chair and Planning Commission
FROM: Eva Cutro, Community Development Director
Paul Michaud, Senior Planner
DATE: July 7, 2015
CONTACT:
Staff Contact
Paul Michaud, 480-348-3574
End
AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Consideration of a minor amendment to the Phoenix Country Day School Special Use Permit (SUP 15-02) to allow for various signs located on or near the aquatic center and gymnasiums. Some of these signs are to be illuminated by ground-mounted up lighting or back lighting. The subject property is located at 3901 E Stanford Drive (Assessor's Parcel Numbers 170-09-001A and 170-09-001B).
Body
RECOMMENDATION A:
Recommendation
Deem the requested amendment to the Phoenix Country Day School Special Use Permit a minor amendment per the criteria listed in Section 1102.7.B of the Zoning Ordinance.
End
RECOMMENDATION B:
Recommendation
Approve the Phoenix Country Day School Minor Special Use Permit Amendment to allow for various signs located on or near the aquatic center and gymnasiums, subject to the following stipulations:
1. All signage improvements shall be in substantial compliance with the following:
a. Project Narrative, prepared by Rose Law Group, dated June 1, 2015;
b. Sheet SUP-8, Overall Campus Site Plan, prepared by Architekton, dated April 3, 2015;
c. Sheet SUP-9, Partial Campus Signage Site Plan, prepared by Architekton, dated April 3, 2015;
d. Sheet SUP-10, Proposed Tennis Courts Signage, prepared by Architekton, dated April 3, 2015;
e. Sheet SUP-11, Proposed Aquatics Center Signage, prepared by Architekton, dated April 3, 2015;
f. Sheet SUP-12, Proposed Monument Signage, prepared by Architekton, dated April 3, 2015;
g. Sheet SUP-13, Proposed Gymnasium Signage, prepared by Architekton, dated April 3, 2015;
h. Sheet SUP-14, Proposed Courtyard Mural Graphic, prepared by Architekton, dated April 3, 2015;
i. Sheet SUP-15, Proposed Existing Monument Signage, prepared by Architekton, dated April 3, 2015; and
j. Light readings and photometric material prepared by Henderson Engineers, Inc., dated May 29, 2015 that includes Sheet ES-1, Electrical Site Photometry, and Sheets ES-2 and ES-3, Photometric Lighting Cut Sheets.
2. The illumination of the signs included with the SUP 15-02 application (i.e. donor recognition monument, mural, aquatic center building sign and gymnasium sign) shall be turned off between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.
3. All existing Special Use Permit stipulations of Ordinance 677 shall remain in full force and effect, unless changed or modified by this Minor Amendment SUP 15-02.
Background
UPDATE:
The Planning Commission discussed the requested application at the study session of June 16, 2015. The following items were discussed or have come up since that meeting:
· The Planning Commissioners seemed in general agreement to stipulate the hours the illuminated signs must be shut off to mitigate visual impact. The draft stipulations include the applicant's suggested hours of 9:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. that corresponds with the existing lighting stipulation of the aquatic center.
· Several Planning Commissioners expressed acceptance of the two building signs including the text "Phoenix Country Day School." It was noted that these signs are in the southeast corner of the campus, which is not the main entrance of the school. As such, inclusion of the school name along with the building name in this location will aid visitors and others accessing the school campus from the City of Phoenix via Camelback Road.
· It is unclear whether the Planning Commissioners would like to consider the gymnasium building sign and/or any of the other proposed signs as one of the three allowable signs of the existing Stipulation 18 of the school's SUP. This stipulation was for the street signage approved in 1985. Presently, only the street sign at the corner of Stanford drive and 40th Street exists.
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
At this time, there have been no public comments provided to Town staff. The applicant did notify by mail all property owners within 300 feet of the school campus about the application and this public hearing date.
MINOR AMENDMENT CRITERIA:
The scope of a minor amendment is limited to the geographic area of the application request. The proposal will need to meet the following four minor amendment criteria:
· Not change or add any uses. The request is for signage and does not change or add uses atypical of a school; or
· Increase the floor area of the project by more than 5,000 square feet or constitute an increase of more than 15% upon the existing. The request includes no new or changes to floor area; or
· Change the architectural style. The request does not affect any building architecture.
· Have any significant material effect on the adjoining property owners that is visible, audible, or otherwise perceptible from adjacent properties that cannot be sufficiently mitigated. The proposed illuminated signs generally comply with the standards of the SUP for this school, Zoning Ordinance and SUP Guidelines. Approval of a stipulation to turn off the illumination of the proposed signs between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. will sufficiently mitigate visibility off property.
DISCUSSION/FACTS:
History and Property Conditions
The 39-acre subject property is located at the southwest corner of Stanford Drive and 40th Street. The Town annexed the subject property in 1961. The Town issued the original SUP in 1969. Several amendments were granted over the years, with the most recent amendment approved in 2014 for construction of a new gymnasium. The property adjoins the City of Phoenix along its eastern and southern boundary. The site is zoned SUP-Public and has a General Plan designation of Public/Quasi Public.
Existing SUP
The school operates under an approved SUP. The Town combined all the school stipulations into one document in 2014, the attached Ordinance 677. There is only one stipulation related to signage for the school. This is Stipulation 18. It states the "Grantee shall have a maximum of three (3) signs for a total of forty-five (45) square feet." This stipulation was first included in the 1985 SUP amendment approving three ground-mounted signs along the rights-of-way as shown on the attached 1985 Master Plan Exhibit. The only remaining ground-mounted sign from this 1985 approval is the sign at the corner of Stanford Drive and 40th Street. Refer to Sheet SUP-15. There are no plans by the school to modify this sign at this time.
Stipulations 10 through 13 address lighting at the school. Outdoor lighting is generally prohibited on the campus. However, the aquatic center lights are permissible to be on until 9:30 p.m. and security lighting has no restrictions to be turned on or off at a certain day or time.
Zoning Ordinance
Article XXV, Signs, of the Town Zoning Ordinance requires the content, sign area, setback, illumination, quantity and height be approved via the SUP or other Town action. Certain signage requires only staff review and approval. These administrative approvals include banner and temporary signs. Unless stipulated otherwise, past practice has been to include signage internal to an SUP site under an administrative approval process.
Section 2506, Lighting, of Article XXV provides four typical sign lighting standards. The proposed illumination of the signs complies with these four standards. For more information on compliance refer to the Lighting section below. The Planning Commission may follow these standards or may approve other standards as part of the SUP.
SUP Guidelines
The SUP Guidelines include guidelines for both signage and lighting. This includes consideration of a ground sign at each entrance not to exceed 8 feet in height and 32 square feet in area. Also, it suggests traffic and directional signage not exceed 12 square feet in area or 5 feet in height. For lighting, the guidelines provide suggested maximum lumen count, setback and light levels in foot candles.
Donor Recognition Monument
The location of the proposed monument is between the aquatic center and the gymnasium, due west of the northern parking driveway of the gymnasium/aquatic center. The dimensions of the monument are 24 feet 10 inches long, 3 feet wide and 4 feet 9 inches high. The monument contains donor names on the interior facing side, with the school name in one-foot high lettering and the school logo facing 40th Street. Ground up-lights are proposed to illuminate the sign. The visibility of the monument off site will be limited as the new gymnasium will shield it from those traveling south on 40th Street, the landscaping along 40th Street will filter the view of the sign and the 196-foot setback from 40th Street will further reduce the presence of the monument off-site. However, the monument may be discernable by pedestrians and drivers near the parking lot driveway noted above.
The proposed monument is a hybrid of an accessory structure to recognize donors and partly a ground monument sign. The donor names will not be visible from 40th Street or the parking lot, as these names face into an interior courtyard area. The "Phoenix Country Day School" lettering and logo total 35 square feet.
Mural
An approximate 215 square foot mural of the school logo is proposed for the area generally bounded on four sides by the existing gymnasium, new gymnasium, auditorium and aquatic center. The mural is to be painted on the auditorium building, which is located approximately 25 feet north of the two gymnasiums. The applicant proposes to illuminate the mural with indirect lighting mounted on the ground.
Tennis Court Sign
The tennis court sign is located on a low wall of the parking lot in front of the aquatic center off 40th Street. It is setback 206 feet from the property line along 40th Street. It has no illumination. It has a sign area of approximately 7 square feet and a height of 3 feet. The school's SUP does not have specific provisions for this type of identification signage. Considering this sign under the SUP Guideline maximums for directional signage of 5 feet in height and 12 square feet in area, this sign complies.
Aquatic Center Sign and Gymnasium Sign
The aquatic center sign is located on the east elevation of the building, facing 40th Street. It is setback approximately 245 feet from the property line along 40th Street. The maximum dimensions of the sign are 13 feet 7.5 inches long and 1 foot 8 inches wide. The sign is mounted approximately 8 feet from grade to the bottom of the sign and 10 feet 6 inches to the top of the aluminum panel. The sign includes the school name in 8-inch high lettering and the name of the building in 7-inch high lettering. The sign will use back lighting, with the light source recessed in the metal panel of the sign. The visibility of this sign off site will be limited as the landscaping along 40th Street and within the parking lot will filter the view of the sign. Also, the 245-foot setback from 40th Street will further reduce the presence of the sign off-site. The Planning Commission approved the location and text of this sign as part of an amendment to the school SUP in November 2013.
The gymnasium sign is located on the south elevation of the new gymnasium, being perpendicular to 40th Street. It is setback 42 feet 6 inches from the property line along 40th Street. The maximum dimensions of the sign, sign height, lettering size and illumination are the same as the aquatic center sign noted above. This sign may be visible off site as it is setback near 40th Street. Since the sign is on the building and perpendicular to 40th Street, the sign will not be visible north of the sign.
Lighting
The donor recognition monument, mural, aquatic center sign, and new gymnasium sign all have associated lighting. Unless approved by the SUP, outdoor lighting is prohibited. The proposed illuminated signs generally comply with the lighting standards of the SUP for this school, Zoning Ordinance and SUP Guidelines as described in the attached table, "Lighting Standards Analysis."
ATTACHMENT(S):
Vicinity Map/Aerial
Application
Ordinance 677, PCDS SUP
Article XXV, Signs
SUP Guideline Excerpts
Lighting Criteria Analysis
1985 Master Plan Exhibit
2013 Aquatic Center Sign Approval
Minutes
Noticing
Narrative/Lighting Photometric/Details/Plan Set
C: - Jordan Rose (Applicant)
- Case File: SUP 15-02