On March 24, 2021, the Historic Preservation Commission reviewed and approved an application to modify the front facade, expand the indoor serving area, and renovate the rear patio, which included the installation of a shipping container, in the space that was formerly occupied by El Zocalo Mexican Grill. The applicant is now requesting approval for three new signs; two on the San Marcos Place street frontage and one on the detached office/shipping container which faces west towards the alley.
- VW Bug:
- Size: 5’-0” x 6’-10” for approximate total of 34 square feet. Extends 5 ft. from the wall face.
- Materials: The sign consists of the front half of a VW beetle, exposed neon elements applied to profile of car elements, tire/hubcabs, and illumination behind the windshield’s color translucent vinyl application.
- Location: The sign is proposed to be installed on exterior of façade between two windows over the colonnade. The sign will be attached with four thru bolts and one ½ inch hole for power source.
- Recreo (front):
- Size: 9’-6” x 1’-3” for approximate total of 12 square feet.
- Material: Aluminum reverse pan-channel letters with logo artwork routed out of face with ½ inch push-thru plex with applied translucent vinyl and exposed neon to match Recreo logo.
- Location: The sign is proposed to be mounted on raceway and installed under building overhang.
- Recreo (rear):
- Size: 9’-6” x 1’-3” for approximate total of 12 square feet.
- Material: Aluminum reverse pan channel letters with logo artwork routed out of face with ½” push-thru plex with translucent vinyl.
- Location: The sign is proposed to be mounted on raceway attached to top of western roof line of the new shipping container/detached office facing facing west towards the alley.
Total signage area of the three signs is approximately 58 square feet. City Center District (CCD) Sign Code: Only signage which is surface-mounted may be permitted on the side or rear elevation of a building, provided however, that such elevation is improved in an architectural manner similar to the front elevation of the building. The design of such signage shall comply with the standards and requirements for surface-mounted signs above the colonnade as set forth herein. 39-9.18 CCD-City Center District.A.2. The use of neon as a means of illumination, whether internal or external to a sign face, shall be permitted at the rate not to exceed (1) such sign above the colonnade per business occupant. 39-9.18 CCD -City Center District.A.9. Signs shall be mounted flush, angled, bowed, or perpendicular to the wall surface, and where possible, be centered horizontally over the storefront. Irrespective method used for mounting, no sign shall extend above the top of the wall parapet, nor be mounted on any roof or roof fascia. No sign shall extend more than four (4) feet from the exterior face of the building wall, and no sign shall overlap any window, door, or architecture feature. Maximum Sign face area for any sign mounted perpendicular to the exterior face of the building shall be twenty-four (24) square feet. 39-9 CCD-City Center District.B.1.b No more than one (1) sign per business occupant shall be permitted. 39-9 CCD-City Center District.B.1.d Maximum Sign Area: The CCD does not provide a maximum allowable sign area square footage. Staff is providing sign area standards for the Regional Commercial (C-3) zoning district as well as previously approved signs within the CCD for comparison purposes. Sign standards for C-3 (Regional Commercial) zoning district:
- Signs shall not exceed two square feet for each linear foot of business frontage, no sign shall exceed 250 square feet in area.
- If the subject site were zoned C-3, the maximum square footage allowed would be 100 square feet. The proposed total signage area is 81 square feet (58 square feet per this request and 23 square feet permitted). To note, two additional signs, outside of the purview of this request, comply with the CCD sign regulations, received sign permit aprpoval, and total 23 square feet. The total sign area of Recreo is nearly 20 square feet below the maximum allowed.
In comparison to previously approved signs in the CCD, Recreo's proposed total signage area of 81 square feet is less than other CCD businesses:
- Santan Brewery – 171 total square feet of sign area – projecting sign extends 7 feet from wall; approved March, 2017 (projecting sign) and March, 2021 (neon signs)
- Uncommon/Tipsy Egg – 268.61 total square feet of sign area - Uncommon sign projects 10 feet from wall, Tipsy Egg projects 6 feet 10 inches from wall (approved May, 2019)
- Cheba Hut – 87 total square feet of sign area (approved via sign permits)
- PedalHaus – 114 total square feet of sign area - rear alley facing sign (approved July, 2021)
- The Stanley- AirBNB - 29 square feet of sign located above the parking canopy (approved July, 2021)
Requested Deviations from Code:
- The next sign code regulation states that no sign shall extend above the top of the wall parapet, nor be mounted on any roof or roof fascia. The proposed 'Recreo' sign on the shipping container is the second request to install a sign above a roof fascia in the CCD. The first sign approved by the HPC was a roof mounted sign for The Stanley AirBNB in July 2021. The proposed above roof parapet/roof line sign to be installed on the detached office/shipping container would be on structure that is not a historic building. The shipping container/detached office is an ancillary structure to the primary historic building. Furthermore, the proposed sign would not face the historic square and would be set back from the alley/rear property line. Planning finds the proposed roof mounted sign would be installed on an ancillary structure which is does not contribute to the historic value presented by the primary building. Also, the proposed sign size is minimal and would be located within the rear portion of the subject.
- Sign code allows one sign utilizing neon illumination, whereas two signs, VW Bug and Recreo (front elevation), are proposed to use neon. Planning staff finds that these two signs, although detached from each other, create a single sign image.
- Sign code allows a four foot projection from the wall face. The VW bug sign projects five feet from the wall face with a height of 6 feet 10 inches. In comparison to the previously approved signs projecting from the wall face, this proposed sign is less in projection than Santan Brewery and Tipsy Egg each having a sign projecting at 7 feet and the Uncommon's projection is 10 feet from the wall face. Planning staff finds the request is consistent with the approved projecting signs in the CCD.
Planning staff finds that the proposed signs listed above maintain consistency with the historic character of the square and is a modern complement to the Early Twentieth Century Commercial architectural style of the City Center District. National Register of Historic Places: The subject building is a contributing resource that is located within the Chandler Commercial Historic District. The Chandler Commercial Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1912, the two-story Monroe Building/Parkway Theater was constructed on two twenty-five foot lots and is the oldest commercial structure in Chandler. Recommendation: Upon finding the proposed exterior signs to complement the existing Early Twentieth Century Commercial style of architecture, Planning staff recommends the Historic Preservation Committee approve PLH21-0093 Celoni Hospitality LLC DBA Recreo, located at 28 South San Marcos Place, subject to the following conditions.
- Development shall be in substantial conformance with Exhibits A and B, kept on file in the City of Chandler Planning Division, in File No. PLH21-0093 Celoni Hospitality LLC DBA Recreo.
- Separate sign permits shall be submitted for all signs.
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