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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZoning Board Of Appeals - Minutes - 02/12/2004• 11 Minutes approved by the Board at the March 11, 2004 Meeting FORT COLLINS ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS Regular Meeting — February 12, 2004 8:30 a.m. IICouncil Liaison: Karen Weitkunat II Staff Liaison: Peter Barnes (221-6760) IlChairperson: Steve Remington IlPhone: (H)223-7138 A regular meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals was held on Thursday February 12, 2004, in the Council Chambers of the Fort Collins Municipal Building at 300 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Alison Dickson Robert Donahue Dwight Hall Andy Miscio Steve Remington William Stockover BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: None. STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Peter Barnes, Zoning Administrator Stacie Soriano, Staff Support to the Board 1. ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Stockover, and roll call was taken. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Remington made a motion to approve the minutes from the January 8, 2004, meeting. Donahue seconded the motion. The motion passed. ZBA February 12, 2004 Page 2 3. APPEAL NO. 2452—Approved. Address: 2401 South College Avenue Petitioner: Weylan "Woody" Bryant Zone: C Section: 3.8.7(G)(9) Background: The variance would allow the McDonald's Restaurant to have two menu board signs instead of the one allowed. The restaurant will be rebuilt with a double drive-thru, and one sign was necessary for each drive thru lane. Each sign will be approximately 30 square feet in size. Petitioner's Statement of Hardship: Please see attached Petitioner's Letter A. Staff Comments: This is similar to the McDonald's request last year regarding the demolition and reconstruction of the West Elizabeth McDonald's restaurant. However, that particular appeal included a request to increase the size of the menu boards as well as the number of boards. The Board denied the size request but granted the request to have two menu board signs. The Board used the hardship criteria instead of the "equal to or better than" criteria. To use the hardship standard again, the Board must determine that there is some unique circumstance, or some exceptional physical condition of the property. The unique circumstance is that in order for a dual drive-thru facility to function properly, a menu board sign is necessary at each drive-thru lane. Additionally, this property is not a "stand-alone" development since its access is shared through the abutting shopping center. Therefore, it is important that the site be designed as efficiently as possible in order to limit the impact to the vehicular circulation patterns that occur on site and on the shopping center property. A dual drive-thru improves the efficiency of the restaurant operation and can lessen the impacts of the abutting development. Staff Presentation: Barnes reviewed the Sign Code requirements. The Board has recently dealt with two similar variance requests to allow extra menu board signs. The Code stated that each property was allowed one free-standing sign (detached from the building) per property and per street frontage. If a lot were a comer lot, two free-standing signs would be allowed. On an interior lot one free- standing sign was allowed. The Sign Code has an exception for drive-thru restaurants and recognized that it was important for drive-thru restaurants to have a menu board (usually) detached from the building. This was considered a bonus free-standing sign for drive-thru restaurants when they are not on comer lots. Comer lots do not get a bonus sign. ZBA February 12, 2004 Page 3 • Barnes stated this was the situation for this particular McDonald's. The McDonald's was located in the University Shopping Center complex on South College Ave. The lot is an interior lot and has only one street frontage (College Avenue). The facility currently has one menu board because they only have one drive-thru ordering lane. The proposal was to demolish the building and reconstruct a new building. Part of the new development would include reconfiguration of the drive-thru operation wherein the Applicant proposed to have a double menu board drive-thru. Bames explained that the proposal was similar to the proposal for the McDonald's on West Elizabeth. The difference was that the Applicant was not asking for a larger menu board than what was allowed by Code. Barnes noted the similarities to the Kentucky Fried Chicken on Boardwalk. Bames presented slides relevant to the appeal. Bames showed that there were several points of access into the University Shopping Center. Barnes showed the slides from the new McDonald's on West Elizabeth because the new building and signs will be similar. Remington asked if the road access to the north was a platted road, would the Applicant need the variance. Barnes replied that if the road was platted it would be a comer lot and the Applicant would be allowed to have two free-standing signs. Dickson asked about the McDonald's on Horsetooth Road having two menu boards. Barnes replied that if the signs were made invisible they do not count. Barnes said that the Applicant • was not able to make the signs invisible sufficiently at 2401 South College Avenue. There was a discussion held regarding screening. Applicant Participation: Weylan Bryant, 4582 South Ulster, Denver, addressed the Board. Bryant stated that a new landscape island of Korean barberries and feathery grasses will be there to aid screening of the signs. The Korean barberries will provide an opaque screen. The menu board will be a three panel sign. Board Discussion: Stockover did not see a problem with the variance request. Dickson stated that traffic flow would be improved by having two drive-thru lanes. Miscio was in favor of the appeal. The Board discussed the hardship. Remington made a motion to approve Appeal Number 2452 based on the hardship standard. Remington noted that approval of the variance was not detrimental to the public good. Remington stated there was s situation unique to the property: (1) the property was part of a commercial development; (2) dual drive-thru would improve traffic flow in the area; (3) reasonable steps have been taken by the Applicant to mitigate the visual impact of the sign and noted that a fence would not be practical. Miscio seconded the motion. Vote: • Yeas: Miscio, Donahue, Stockover, Hall, Remington, and Dickson. Nays: None. ZBA February 12, 2004 Page 4 S. Other Business Barnes reminded that the meeting in March will be on the llih, and that the meeting was a breakfast meeting. Meeting adjourned at 9:00 a.m. L41 4:�:= - William Stockover, Chairperson / 6aAO, Peter Barnes, Zoning Administrator Petitioner's Letter A P J W HUITT-ZOLLAR$ INC 4582 S.u16 JJ,ie, St Suoe 1303 fJunvei, CC 00237 2639 - 303 740 7325 phon¢ 303 224 9997 fux nmuz.1161 coin • Friday - January 09, 2004 Sent Via: ❑ 1st Class © FedEx ❑ Courier ❑ Hand Deliver ❑ Facsimile to: ❑ Email to: 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111Ill 1111111111111111111 Re: CITY OF FORT COLLINS 281 N. College Avenue PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522-05BO Attention: Mr. Peter Barnes Zoning Administrator Dear Mr. Barnes: Submittal for Zoning Variance Review. Multiple Menu Boards MCDONALD'S RESTAURANT 2401 S. College Avenue City of Fort Collins, CO HZI JN: 16-0213-02 It was a pleasure speaking with you this morning regarding the above noted project. As I noted, McDonald's Corporation has decided to move forward with the raze -and -rebuild of their existing facility located along South College Avenue. Similar to the recent raze -and -rebuild of the 1250 W. Elizabeth site, the new facility at this location will include McDonald's state-of-the- art dual drive-thru system — including two menu boards. However, unlike the 1250 W. Elizabeth site, we are only seeking acceptance of the quantity of menu boards — the size of the menu boards will be the reduced three -panel product that the Board previously review and approved. Accordingly, attached for your review and scheduling of the necessary Zoning Variance Review, we are pleased to provide you with the following items: • HZI Check #1337, payable to the "City of Fort Collins' in the amount of $28.00 ($25.00 APPLICATION FEE plus $0.50 for each of the six addresses for OWNERS OF RECORD FOR REAL PROPERTY MAILINGS FEE — for owners within 150 feet of the project, as provided by Ms. Mary Lu Moore in the Larimer County Assessors Office). • • Fax Transmittal from Ms. Mary Lu Moore (Larimer County, Office of the Assessor) to me dated January 9, 2004 noting the OWNERS OF RECORD FOR REAL PROPERTY LOCATED WITHIN 150 FEET OF THE PROPERTY. • Nine (9) copies of DRAWING SP-1, "SITE PLAN" dated 01/07/2004 showing the planning improvements to the site, including the location of the two menu -boards. • Nine (9) copies of DRAWING L-1, "LANDSCAPING PLAN" dated 01/05/2004 showing the planned landscaping improvements for the site. • Nine (9) copies of DRAWING M11, 11PRE-SELLIMENU BOARD ELEVATIONS" showing the reduced three -panel product planned for this project lease note: this is the same menu board that was approved for the 1250 W. Elizabeth site). • Nine (9) copies of a MENU BOARD GRAPHICS COPY, prepared by Florida Plastics (please note: this drawing is provided for general sign copy information only — the fourth panel shown will not be installed, but the sign graphics copy may be used on one of the other three panels). As you can see from the enclosed information, and as noted above, these new menu boards are planned for the dual drive- thru configuration located in the west -central portion of the lot (reference: key note #4 on Drawing SP-1, "Site Plan"). For the dual drive-thru configuration to work properly, both menu boards are necessary. Extensive landscaping, both along the periphery of the site as well as internally, is planned to help screen these menu boards for the western and northern property lines (please note: this site is part of the University Shopping Center and is surrounded on the north, west, and south sides by commercial properties, and on the east by S. College Avenue). We understand from our telephone conversation this morning that your team will complete the necessary Application Form and that the Zoning Board of Appeals meets on the second Thursday of each month beginning at 8:30am in the City Council Chambers (located at 300 W. LaPorte Avenue). From our discussion this morning, we understand that you will try to schedule • our presentation to the Zoning Board of Appeals for Thursday— February 12, 2004. Mr, Peter Barnes — City of Fort Collins, Zoning Administration _ Submittal for Zoning Variance Review Multiple Menu Boards January 9, 2004 Page 2 We trust that you will find the enclosed information complete and look forward to presenting this project to the Zoning Board of Appeals for approval. Please feel free to call me (303.740,7325) upon receipt and review should you have questions or require any additional information. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, I y" $pant, P.E. (CO3 IL, PA, WY) ,den Office Man?jr (Notary Public. Colorado) National Society of Professionaf Engineerso &gnowy, UpElkmzjmd rr Enclosures: cc: Mr. Wayne Bishop, McDonald's Corporation w/Enclosures Mr. Ted Shepard, City of Fort Collins: Planning w/o Enclosures Me: i:iprojil60213idocsVpb010904,doc