Consider Request for Conditional Use Permit for Oversized Ground Sign at 7990 Sunwood Drive NW (Project No. 20-101); Case of RGH Ramsey LLC

The City received an application from RGH Ramsey LLC (the "Applicant") for a Conditional Use Permit to construct and maintain an oversized ground sign on the property located at 7990 Sunwood Drive NW (the "Subject Property").  The Applicant has an active purchase agreement with the City for the Lots 1-3, Block 1 COR TWO, which includes the Subject Property.  The Planning Commission conducted a Public Hearing on February 6, 2020 regarding the Applicant's original request and tabled action to provide the Applicant an opportunity to make modifications to the request.

The original request was for a sixty (60) foot tall sign with 999 square feet of sign area to be located on a city-owned parcel west of Armstrong Blvd ('off-premise').  Based on discussion and feedback from the Planning Commission, the Applicant modified the request to locate the proposed sign 'on-premise' (on the Subject Property), reduced the square footage from 999 down to 324, and increased the height from sixty (60) feet to seventy-five (75) feet. 

The City is advertising for a new Public Hearing due to the change in proposed location and size of the ground sign.  The City attempted to send a mailing via Standard US Mail to property owners within 350 feet of the Subject Property, as noted in the Anoka County Property Records, notifying them of the public hearing.  The Public Hearing will be conducted by the City Council on March 24, 2020.

As noted, based on feedback from the Planning Commission, the Applicant has modified the request.  The proposal is for a ground sign (the "Sign") that would be 324 square feet in area (or an aggregate of 648 square feet for a double-sided sign) and seventy-five (75) feet tall.  The revised proposal represents a reduction in square footage of about sixty-seven percent (67%).  Furthermore, the Applicant has modified the proposed location of the Sign to be on the Subject Property, which would be 'on-premise' rather than the previous proposal, which was 'off-premise' on a city-owned parcel.

The proposed Sign is now very comparable to other approved and/or existing ground signs in the vicinity of the Armstrong Blvd overpass (see table below).  Furthermore, the Sign does include a decorative base consisting of faux stone that is approximately eleven (11) feet in height, maintaining an enhanced appearance at the pedestrian level.   Finally, the Sign would provide tenant space for all three (3) parcels at the southeast corner of Armstrong Blvd and Sunwood Drive.
 

Project	Square Footage	Height
Northstar Marketplace	334 Square Feet	75 Feet
Ramsey Commons (former US Bank)	225 Square Feet	75 Feet
West Armstrong Retail/PSD (approved not installed yet)	320 Square Feet	75 Feet
RGH Ramsey LLC (proposed)	324 Square Feet	75 Feet

Alternatives

Alternative 1: Recommend approval of the proposed Sign.  The Applicant has made significant modifications to the Sign to reduce its size and relocating it so that is is 'on-premise'.  The Sign would include tenant space for all three parcels providing the necessary exposure to help entice prospective businesses to building in The COR.  Staff supports this alternative.

Alternative 2: Recommend denial of the proposed Sign.  Based on feedback from the Planning Commission at the February 6, 2020 meeting, the Applicant has made significant modifications to the proposal.  The proposed Sign is now very similar to others in the vicinity of the Armstrong Blvd overpass that were granted Conditional Use Permits.  Staff does not support this alternative.

The Applicant is responsible for all costs associated with this application.    

Staff recommends approving the request for a Conditional Use Permit for an oversized ground sign.

Motion to recommend City Council approve Resolution #20-027 granting a Conditional Use Permit for an oversized ground sign at 7990 Sunwood Drive NW.