Prestonwood Place is an older shopping center located at the southeast corner of Montfort Drive and Belt Line Road. In an effort to maintain existing tenants and attract new high quality tenants the center has been undergoing major renovations throughout the property, most recently being rezoned to accommodate the redevelopment of the two-story office/retail building in the back corner of the property, as well as updating all existing facades.
During one of the wind storms in June 2019, the property’s existing multitenant pylon signs experienced significant damage, damaging one of the signs beyond repair. The pylon sign base structure was left intact and can be safely reused, but the sign cabinet has to be completely replaced.
Given this circumstance, as well as the ongoing renovations, the property owner has decided to revamp the exterior signage for the entire property to achieve a cohesive design throughout. The property owner would like to leave the base structures and replace the sign cabinets for both the pylon signs to better match the new, more modern, design of the center.
Currently, both the pylon signs are nonconforming in size, and only one pylon sign meets the setback requirements.
The Sign Code, Chapter 62 of the Code of Ordinances, regulates multitenant pylon sign as follows:
Sec. 62-184. - Setback, effective area and height.
A minimum setback of 20 feet is required for all signs exceeding 20 square feet in effective area or 15 feet in height.
Sec. 62-185. - Specifications.
(2) Multitenant pole signs must be exactly 72 square feet in effective area and must be exactly 20 feet in height measured from ground elevation to the top of the signs. No single-tenant shall occupy more than 36 square feet of sign area on a multi-tenant sign.
(3) Design standards shall be as follows:
b. Sign cabinet: Paint grip sheet metal on angle iron frame with angle retaining rim to secure sign face.
2. Multitenant sign cabinet dimensions: 6'10" wide × 11'6" high × 12" deep.
e. Sign support and cabinet color: Pantone 404(c). Painted surfaces are to match special color; color swatch will be provided by the town. Color number: Pantone #404(c)
g. Overall sign height: All signs are to be 20 feet in height.
The applicant is requesting a meritorious exception for a 99.8 square foot black pylon cabinet for both signs, with 72 square feet of tenant signage and additional text at the top for the shopping center name, which adds approximately 20 square feet of additional signage area. The applicant is also requesting to be allowed to keep the existing base structure for the sign closest to the eastern property line, which has a 14.5 foot setback from Belt Line Road. It should be noted that the landscape island in which the pylon sign currently exists does not provide allowance for the full 20 foot setback, with only about 2.5 feet from the existing base structure to the fire lane.
The existing nonconforming pylon signs are approximately the same size as those being proposed, except the different shape of the top of the cabinet. It is unclear when or how the existing signs were approved, but they have been on the property for many years.
Given the circumstances for the cause of this request and the existing limitations on the property, Staff supports the proposed design and the additional text at the top of the cabinet identifying the newly rebranded shopping center, as well as keeping the existing setback of 14.5 feet. Staff believes that the proposed signs create cohesiveness and improve the visual environment for the property overall. |