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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZoning Board Of Appeals - Minutes - 12/14/2006FORT COLLINS ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS Regular Meeting — December 14, 2006 8:30 a.m. Council Liaison: Kelly Ohlson Staff Liaison• Peter Barnes (221 6760) Chairperson: Dwight Hall 11 A regular meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals was held on Thursday, December 14, 2006 in the Council Chambers of the Fort Collins Municipal Building at 300 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Ron Daggett Alison Dickson Robert Donahue Dwight Hall Dana McBride Andy Miscio BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Jim Pisula STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Peter Barnes, Zoning Administrator Angelina Sanchez -Sprague, Staff Support to the Board 1. ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order and roll call was taken. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Dickson made a motion to approve the minutes from the November 9, 2006 meeting. Miscio seconded the motion. The motion passed. 3. APPEAL NO. 2566 — Approved with Condition Address: 4701 Technology Parkway Petitioner: Bret Cummock Zone: HC Section: 3.8.7(G)(6) Background: The variance would allow 2 ground signs along Ziegler Road instead of the one sign that is allowed by code. Specifically, Intel proposes to construct a 20 square foot, 2-sided sign at the south driveway entrance into their site for the purpose of identifying the entrance as a delivery entrance. The sign will be about 320 feet south of the main Intel sign along Ziegler. Petitioner's Statement of Hardship: See petitioner's letter. ZBA December 14, 2006—Page 2 Staff Comments: ad for the Hcnt property across Harmony Road. This is similar to a variance that was approvadditional free standing sign along Harmony in order That property was granted a variance for an to identify a delivery entrance. As in that case, this particular variance request is for a very large parcel of ground that has over 1000' of frontage along Ziegler Road. The 2 signs that are proposed will be approximately 300 feet apart, so there will be considerable separation between the 2 and they will be relatively small (20 sq. ft. per side instead of the 90 sq. ft. per side that would be allowed based on the sign allowance). The applicant's letter expresses their justification for variance approval. They believe that all 3 standards that the ZBA can use for granting variances apply in this situation. Specifically, the "exceptional and unique conditions", the "equal to or better than", and the "nominal, inconsequential" standards all apply. Staff agrees with the applicant's justification statements. staff Presentation: Barnes presented slides relevant to this appeal. Code allows one sign per street frontage. Overall they are planning a larger sign on Harmony and two-20 square foot (5 feet tall and 4 feet wide) signs along Ziegler Road —one with general directions for their main parking lot and the other to direct where deliveries should be made. Their request is similar to one made and granted to HP/Avago north and east of Harmony & Ziegler. Hall wondered what Code's intent is with regard to limiting one sign per street. Barnes believes Code's intent was for aesthetics —limit clutter along street. The code however, did not take into account the larger industrial/commercial properties with multiple entrances. Hall wondered what restrictions applied when the properties are near residential developments. Hours of illumination are restricted if the signs are in the residential neighborhood sign district per Barnes. However, this is not in that district. Applicant Participation: Bret Cummock represents Intel. Intel is sensitive to the neighborhood and wants to be a good community member. They would like to avoid sign clutter proposing much less signage (two 20 square foot signs) than that allowed by Code (90 square feet.) They also want to avoid impact to traffic on Ziegler should a large truck making deliveries need to back out onto the street. Their concerns are primarily about safety, appearance, and to do the job needed to direct traffic. Miscio wondered if there would be any future need for signs. Cummock responded no —all permits for signs needed for the site had been submitted. The signage as proposed should adequately cover the needs of the site that borders Harmony, Ziegler, Kechter & Technology Parkway Board Discussion: Dickson agreed the reasons for this particular mix of signs were totally adequate. She believes there was a hardship given the size of the campus and the number of entrances. Donahue agrees that two 20 foot square feet signs are better than the one sign allowed at a size of 90 square feet. Dickson made a motion to approve appeal number 2566 because the granting of the variance would not be detrimental to the public good and the proposal as submitted will promote the general purpose of the standard for which the variance is requested equally well or better than would a proposal which complies with the standard. Specifically, the City tries to limit the number of sign square footage at a particular location to avoid sign clutter --limiting it to one sign per street frontage. The two signs proposed for this street is far less than what's allowed. The variance is ZBA December 14, 2006—Page 3 granted on the condition that the size of the two signs combined can't exceed 90 square feet per side. Miscio seconded the motion. Vote: Yeas: Daggett, Dickson, Donahue, Hall, McBride, Miscio, Nays: 4. Other Business: Election of Officers Dickson made a motion that Dwight Hall remain as Chair. Miscio seconded the motion. Vote: Yeas: Daggett, Dickson, Donahue, Hall, McBride, Miscio, Nays: Miscio made a motion that Alison Dickson continue as Vice -Chair. Daggett seconded the motion. Vote: Yeas: Daggett, Dickson, Donahue, Hall, McBride, Miscio, Nays: Changes to the Land Use Code (LUC) Barnes reported that on December 51", City Council approved (at first reading of the ordinance) changes to the Land Use Code including: • Lot to Floor Area Ratio (LFAR) has changed from a 3:1 ratio to a 2.5:1 ratio. • Banners. In the future banners will be allowed for longer than 20 days for non-profit organizations and new businesses in their first year. The size of the banners will be regulated and the number of banners may also be regulated (pending 2nd reading changes). • Electronic signs. Changes to electronic message board signs are also approved on 1" reading. A second reading is scheduled for the Council meeting on December 19. The changes will go into effect on December 29w. A biennial breakfast is scheduled at the February 81h meeting at 8 a.m. Please mark your calendars. The meeting adjourned at 9:05 a.m. _;�wight Hall, Chairperson �� 13 � ' ° Peter Barnes, Zoning Administrator stantK-com Memo To: Peter Barnes, Zoning Administrator From: Bret Cummock StardCC City of Fort Collins Stantec — Fort Collins Building and Zoning Services 281 N. College Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80524 Date: November 6, 2006 File: 187010284 Reference: Intel FCDC Zoning Variance Application - Signage Peter - This memo is to support the application for a Zoning Variance Review to the Zoning Board of Appeals regarding one additional regulated sign for the Intel Fort Collins Design Center project. Background — Intel purchased the existing Celestica Facility located at 4701 Technology parkway (comer of Harmony and Ziegler) in 2005 and is renovating the facility to become a design center for its Fort Collins employees. Intel has applied for and received approval of a minor site plan amendment to make a small number of exterior site changes but is basically leaving the exterior of the site Celestica.very similar of the to the existing condition as designed/approved/constructed exterior site changes include modification of the building/site signage. All proposed site signage is in compliance with City signage codes and has received a sign permit except for one proposed sign on Ziegler Road. The proposed sign needing a variance is located on Ziegler Road at the most southerly site driveway entrance. The site currently has only two entrances which are both located on Ziegler Road and one future entrance located on Technology Parkway which has not yet been constructed. Each o signage trto es located n Ziegler Road are in critical need of having appropriate 9na 9 traffic in and out of the site and protect the interest of the public by minimizing and/or eliminating potential traffic hazards. The main entrance on Ziegler is directly opposite Timberwood Road and is the main employee/customer/public driveway entrance into the site. The southerly driveway entrance into the site was originally designed by Celestica and also intended by Intel to be used as a truck/delivery entrance. Stantec November 6, 2006 Mr. Peter Barnes, Zoning Administrator Page 2 of 3 Reference: Intel FCDC Zoning Variance Application Request - Allow one additional ground sign along Ziegler Road for a total of two ground signs along this street frontage. Justification - Exceptional physical conditions or other extraordinary and exceptional situations unique to the property, the strict application of the code requirements would result in unusual and exceptional practical difficulties or hardship upon the owner - The existing physical condition of the site that was designed and constructed by Celestica and subsequently purchased by Intel has two driveway entrances located on Ziegler Road. One entrance is used for an employee/public/customer entrance and the other for a truck/delivery entrance. It is in the best interest of public safety to keep the truck/delivery traffic separate from the main employee/public/customer entrance to the site to avoid potential traffic backups into Ziegler Road which would cause a safety concern. Trucks entering the main employee entrance would have difficulty making the tuming movements into the delivery/truck staging area and drivers may feel compelled to try and backup into Ziegler Roadway to go to the southerly truck entrance. This would create an unsafe situation that should be avoided. Intel is very concerned about the safety of its employees/customers as well as the public and does not wish to create an unsafe situation by mixing truck/delivery traffic with employee/public/customer traffic. The addition of one sign along Ziegler Road to clearly identify the truck/delivery entrance would enhance the safety of the public and Intel's employees/customers by reducing the potential conflict from trucks using the wrong entrance. The proposal will promote the general purpose of the standard for which the variance is requested equally well or better than would a proposal which complies with the standard - The standard is intended to allow adequate signage for the public, employees, customers, and support personnel to locate the proper entrance of a given facility. Intel will have wording on both proposed signs along Ziegler Road that will clearly indicate the proper entrance for trucks/deliveries and the proper entrance for employees/customers/public. This will enhance the public safety by informing drivers to use the proper entrance and reduce the potential for traffic hazards to occur. November 6, 2006 Mr. Peter Barnes, Zoning Administrator Page 3 of 3 Reference: Intel FCDC Zoning Variance Application The proposal will not diverge from the standards of the Land Use Code except in a nominal, inconsequential way when considered in the context of the neighborhood - Intel is allowed a minimum of 3,400 sf of regulated signage per City code but has chosen to only install approximately 600 sf of regulated signage. This is significantly less than allowed by code. Intel is allowed by code to install one ground sign on Ziegler Road with a maximum height and area as follows: 12 feet above grade and 90 sf per side. Intel is proposing to install two smaller signs (one at each driveway entrance) that are sized as follows: 5.5 feet above grade and approximately 20 sf per side for a total area of 80 sf of the two signs combined. The total of the two signs in both height and area is less than that allowed for one sign. Thank you for consideration of this request and should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, 970-482-5922. STANTEC CONSULTING INC. Bret A. Cummock Managing Principal Attachment: 8 copies of signage and site plans c. Mike Eddy, Intel Bob Schuchard, Intel be cWoa"Wft and ee"slbmnmodNny do""nSWe*4004WW"sftgnldennermMZ�mwnc_epplmWw_110606.dm