HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 07
MEMORANDUM
TO: Daryl Morey
FROM: D. Daniel Licht, AICP
DATE: 12 January 2017
RE: Lakeville - Spirit Place/Petsmart; PUD amendment (signs)
TPC FILE: 135.01
BACKGROUND
Lakeville Ps 2016, LLC has submitted an application to amend the PUD Development Stage Plan
for Lot 1, Block 1, Spirit Place at Brandtjen Farm. The application is to allow wall signs on three
sides of the principal building, increase the area of the wall signs, and add ancillary signs to
comply with Petsmart’s prototype brand recognition program. The City Council approved a
PUD Development State Plan for the subject site on 1 August 2016 for an 18,000 square foot
building for Petsmart, a retail store specializing in pet related products and services. The
subject site is zoned PUD, Planned Unit Development District as approved by the City Council
for Spirit of Brandtjen Farm (SBF) on 20 June 2005.
Exhibits:
Site location
Sign Plan (7 pages)
ANALYSIS
SBF PUD District. The SBF Land Use Plan and PUD District govern the subject site for mixed use
development based on the uses allowed in the O-R District and C-3 District. An amendment to
the SBF PUD Booklet was approved in 2010 to allow for development of big box retail users
within this area of SBF, which is consistent with the approved 18,000 square foot retail building.
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Sign Allowances. The SBF PUD District and PUD Development Stage Plan for Spirit Place of
Brandtjen Farm provides for signs as allowed for uses within the C-3 District. Section 11-23-
19.E.1.b of the Zoning District establishes wall sign allowances for single occupancy commercial
uses within the C-3 District as follows:
Buildings < 45,000 square feet:
o One sign is allowed on one wall facing a public street for interior lots, or one
sign may be installed on two walls facing a public street for corner lots.
o Maximum area of any wall sign is 100 square feet.
Buildings > 45,000 square feet:
o One sign is allowed on one wall facing a public street for interior lots, or one
sign may be installed on two walls facing a public street for corner lots.
o Maximum area of one wall sign is 440 square feet; an additional wall sign for a
second wall facing a public street is allowed a maximum area of 200 square feet.
o Secondary wall signs up to 144 square feet with maximum area of 72 square
feet for any one sign are allowed on one wall facing a public street or the
elevation that is the primary building entry.
Petsmart Signs. During consideration of the Petsmart PUD Development Stage Plan, the
applicant requested consideration of allowing a wall sign on a third wall of their building and an
increase in the allowed number and area of individual wall signs. City staff did not support the
request for additional signage as part of the PUD District. The Planning Commission
recommended and the City Council approved the PUD Development Stage Plan with a condition
that the signs comply with the Zoning Ordinance requirements for C-3 District uses.
Petsmart has subsequently submitted plans for a PUD Development Stage Plan amendment to
allow a 147 square foot wall sign to be installed on the south (front), north (rear), and east
(side) elevations of the principal building exceeding both the number and area limits for wall
signs established by the PUD District. The total area of the three proposed signs to be installed
on the 18,000 square foot Petsmart building is 441 square feet, which as much as the 444
square feet of wall signs that are installed on the 92,810 square foot Hy-Vee building. Petsmart
states that the amendment is necessary for the signs to comply with the company’s prototype
signage and brand recognition program.
City staff brought the application to the attention of the Planning Commission at their work
session on 5 January 2016 to review updates to the Zoning Ordinance to discuss whether
consideration should be given to amendment of the Zoning Ordinance for sign regulations
applicable to all uses within the C-3 District (as well as C-2 and C-CBD Districts) to allow the
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signs proposed by Petsmart. The Planning Commission did not support amendment of the
Zoning Ordinance to allow for an increase in the area or number of wall signs within the C-2, C-
3, and C-CBD District.
PUD Amendment. The PUD District for SBF was established for the purposes outlined in
Section 11-96-1 of the Zoning Ordinance. In allowing for flexibility from the strict application of
performance standards established by the Zoning Ordinance, such flexibility is only to be
approved when consistent with the intent of the underlying performance standards. The sign
allowances for uses within the C-3 District balance the need for business identification with
community preferences regarding traffic safety and aesthetics. The sign provisions for uses
45,000 square feet or more were developed based on a review of signs allowed within PUD
Districts for large box retail uses, such as grocery stores, that in addition to their core business
include secondary uses such as a pharmacy or coffee shop, to standardize sign provisions for all
uses and avoid using PUD Districts for variation. The Petsmart site and building are not unique
from other commercial developments within the City that are subject to C-3 District
requirements. Furthermore, the applicant does not identify site conditions, enhanced building
elements, or location factors as the rationale for their request; the application is based solely
on the business recognition program of Petsmart.
CONCLUSION
City staff does not support amendment of the PUD Development Stage Plan to allow for the
three wall signs or increased area of the individual signs. The proposed signage does not
comply with the provisions of the SBF PUD District and is not consistent with the intent of the
Zoning Ordinance as applied to similar uses under similar circumstances.
c. Justin Miller, City Administrator
Andrea Poehler, City Attorney
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