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ITEM 14 |
City Council Memorandum Development Services Memo No. 21-039
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Date: |
August 12, 2021 |
To: |
Mayor and Council |
Thru: |
Joshua H. Wright, Acting City Manager Debra Stapleton, Assistant City Manager Derek D. Horn, Development Services Director |
From: |
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Subject: |
PLH21-0036 Compass Christian Church |
Request: |
Preliminary Development Plan approval for exterior signs on a 25.9-acre church campus |
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Location: |
1825 S Alma School Rd., Chandler AZ 85286 |
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Applicant: |
Mike Donada – Arizona Signs Plus |
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Proposed Motion: |
Preliminary Development Plan Move City Council approve Preliminary Development Plan PLH21-0036 for exterior signage for Compass Christian Church, located at 1825 S. Alma School Road, subject to the conditions as recommended by Planning and Zoning Commission. |
Background Data: |
- Subject site was zoned Planned Area Development (PAD) for church; originally approved in 1996, amended in 1997 and 2008
- Amendments to the Preliminary Development Plans (PDP) were approved in 2000, 2010, 2012 and 2020.
- The church is currently in its third phase of construction. The campus includes an assembly building, multi-purpose classrooms, a youth building, worship center, plus site improvements.
- The PDPs approved in 2010 and 2012 allowed two 6’-high monument signs, each with an electronic message board, at the Alma School and Germann road entrances, which currently exist. The 2012 PDP also allowed signage on the exterior wall of the youth center building located at the southeast corner of the campus.
- In 2020, a PDP was approved to replace the two 6’-high monument signs with 10’-high monument signs, both without electronic message boards.
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Surrounding Land Use Data: |
North |
PAD for Single-Family (Eden Estates) |
South |
PAD for Commercial & Germann Rd. |
East |
AG-1 Single-Family |
West |
PAD for single family residential and neighborhood commercial across Alma School Rd |
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Proposed Development: |
Proposed Signage The requested PDP approval is to allow building identification signs and directional signs throughout the church campus to help with traffic flow. More specifically the proposal includes:
- Five reverse pan channel halo illuminated signs to be mounted on exterior building walls.
- Three hanging panel signs to be installed on a large open-air structure.
- Twelve non-illuminated parking vehicular directional signs.
- Three non-illuminated panel signs, one of which will have lights shining on the sign.
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Review and Recommendation: |
Compass Christian Church currently does not have building identification signs throughout the campus. The proposed signs are compatible with the site architecturally and are beneficial to the flow of the campus. All halo illuminated signs are reverse pan channel, meaning the signs do not directly shine light outward. This is important as there is one halo illuminated reverse pan channel sign that faces east, which will be visible from the adjacent backyards. Last year, the church removed a row of parking along the north side of the property line and replaced it with a larger landscape buffer and planted more trees to provide a larger buffer from the adjacent homes. As the newly planted trees grow, they will visually buffer the east-facing sign. All other proposed signs are either non-illuminated, facing Alma School or Germann roads, or placed in such a manner that they will not be visible from adjacent residential properties. Planning staff finds that the request for exterior signs proposed throughout the campus at Compass Christian Church meets the intent of the Sign Code and the proposed signage is architecturally integrated with the existing and future buildings within Compass Christian Church site. |
Public / Neighborhood Notification |
- This request was noticed in accordance with the requirements of the Chandler Zoning Code.
- A neighborhood meeting was held on June 16, 2021. Three residents contacted us in regard to building and parking lighting on site but had no issues in regard to the signage proposed.
- As of the writing of this memo, Planning staff was contacted by one neighbor who did not have any issues regarding the signs, but complained about light shining off of the building and parking lights that have been shining into his home and yard.
- In response, Compass Christian Church has agreed to stipulation number 4 requiring shields to be added to the light poles along the northern property line and to replace exterior light fixtures on the building with light fixtures that shine light down.
- In addition, stipulation number 3 requires lights along the northern property line to be turned off by 10:00 PM daily.
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Planning and Zoning Commission Vote Report |
Planning and Zoning Commission meeting July 21, 2021. Motion to Approve In Favor: 5 Opposed: 0 |
Recommended Conditions of Approval |
Planning staff find the request is in compliance with the General Plan and Planning and Zoning Commission recommends the City Council approve the PAD Amendment for Compass Christian Church exterior signage subject to the following conditions:
- Signage shall be in substantial conformance with the elevations, entitled “Exhibit A” and kept on file in the City of Chandler Planning Division, in File No. PLH21-0036, modified by such conditions included at the time the exhibit was approved by the Chandler City Council and/or as thereafter amended, modified or supplemented by the Chandler City Council.
- Signs shall be designed in coordination with landscape plans, planting materials, storm water retention requirements, and utility pedestals, so as not to create problems with sign visibility or prompt the removal of required landscape materials.
- All light poles located along the northern property line adjacent to the single-family houses shall be turned off by 10:00 PM.
- Light shields shall be added to all light poles located along the northern property line and all exterior lights mounted on the north side of the northernmost buildings shall be replaced with light fixtures that shine down. Said light fixtures shall be approved by the Zoning Administrator.
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