Request for a Conditional Use Permit to Exceed Sign Size Restrictions at 7545 Veterans Drive NW (formerly Civic Center Dr NW); Case of PSD, LLC.

The City has received an application from PSD, LLC requesting a conditional use permit (CUP) to exceed sign size restrictions for the new VA outpatient clinic located at 7545 Veterans Dr NW.

In accordance with State statute, Staff attempted to notify property owners within 350 feet of the subject property of the public hearing via Standard US Mail. The Public Hearing was also noticed in the Anoka County Union, the City's official newsletter for public notices.

The COR zoning district sign regulations, excluding the COR-2 subdistrict, have distinctly different architectural standards than those for the general Business and Employment zoning districts within the community. These regulations were developed with the intention of applying them to the central areas of The COR where there would likely be higher concentrations of multi-tenant buildings, with each individual tenant having very limited frontage. Consistent with all sign regulations in the City, the City has built in flexibility in its sign regulations through the use of the CUP process.

The building has frontage along both Sapphire St and Civic Center Dr and is roughly 130 feet by 185 feet. The height of the building is about forty (40) feet.  The site is located in the COR-1 zoning district, which restricts wall-mounted signs to a maximum of five percent (5%) of the ground floor building facade area or twenty-four (24) square feet, whichever is less (in this case, twenty-four [24] square feet would be the maximum allowable area per City Code). Furthermore, lettering, numbers, and graphics are restricted to a maximum height of twelve (12) inches.  Businesses with frontage on more than one public road are allowed the permitted sign criteria for each street frontage.

The proposed signage includes two (2) wall signs consisting of reverse channel LED letters and graphics.  The signs would be located above the main entrance facing Sunwood Dr and along the south wall of the building facing Highway 10.  The building itself is two stories and may have a second tenant at some future point.  The applicant is aware that any future tenant(s) would not likely be eligible for any wall signage (at least not without a conditional use permit).  The proposed letter height is twenty-four (24) inches and the proposed logo height is fifty-six (56) inches.  Each of the proposed signs would be seventy-three (73) square feet, resulting in a total of 146 square feet of signage (an overage of ninety-eight [98] square feet).  The proposed letter height is consistent with other conditional use permit requests, while the logo is taller than any previously approved height.  The proposed overage is slightly greater than previously approved overages. 

The City has processed several conditional use permit applications over the past couple years relating to square footage, letter/graphics height and number of signs within The COR. Approved letter/graphic heights have ranged from 14.75 inches to 36 inches. Approved overages have ranged from 24.5 sq. ft. to 82 sq. ft. Staff is aware that the sign regulations for the COR area are limited in terms of both size and number of signs allowed and are currently working with our planning consultant on some possible amendments to these regulations.

All costs associated with reviewing the application are the responsibility of the Applicant.

Motion to recommend that City Council adopt findings of fact relating to PSD, LLC's request for a conditional use permit to exceed sign size restrictions established in City Code subject to review by the City Attorney as to legal form.

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Motion to recommend that City Council approve PSD, LLC's request to exceed sign size restrictions based on the findings of fact, and adopt a resolution declaring terms of conditional use permit subject to review by the City Attorney as to legal form.

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Motion to recommend that City Council deny the request for a conditional use permit based on the findings of fact.