Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-05-22 - AGENDA REPORTS - UDC SIGN AMENDMENT (2)CITY OF SAN'T'A CLARITA AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approval Item to be presented by: PUBLIC HEARING DATE: May 22, 2001 SUBJECT: A REQUEST TO AMEND CHAPTER 17.19 OF THE CITY'S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE (SIGN REGULATIONS) TO ESTABLISH SPECIFIC STANDARDS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC SIGNS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. DEPARTMENT: Planning and Building Services RECOMMENDED ACTION Receive report, open public hearing, receive testimony, close public hearing, adopt a Resolution and introduce an Ordinance entitled: An Ordinance of the City Council of the City Of Santa Clarita, California, Amending Chapter 17.19 of the Santa Clarita Municipal Code, establishing provisions for the preservation of Historic Signs to the Unified Development Code (UDC Amendment 01-01). BACKGROUND As staff continues to work toward 100 percent compliance with the Sign Ordinance, some concerns were raised in regard to the preservation of business signs in the City considered to have local historical significance. At the City Council meeting of January 9, 2001, council directed staff to prepare an update to the Sign Ordinance to develop provisions allowing for the preservation of historical business signs. The Planning Commission received a presentation on the proposed changes at the regular meeting of May 1, 2001. The Commission recommended that the City Council approve the amendment to the Ordinance with the following change: 1. Modify the proposed `Allowable Area" section (17.19.012.D) to clarify that historical signs/markers attached to historic structures shall not count toward the overall sign area permitted for a business. Adopted: `�i -5-4 Agenda Item :� Staff has not revised the Sign Ordinance text to reflect the proposed recommendation of the Planning Commission; because the existing "Exemption" section (17.19.020.E) already addresses "permanent memorial or historical signs, plaques or markers" however, should the City Council desire, these changes may also be incorporated into the body of the administrative section of the Sign Ordinance. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The proposed amendment consists of minor changes to the Sign Ordinance which will identify the administrative procedures in determining signs with historical significance. This would add flexibility to the Sign Ordinance allowing for certain types of business signs (roof, projecting, or painted) to remain if they meet specific historical criteria. Through the existing administrative variance process, a business sign would be required to meet specific criteria when determining if it is historical. In addition, a definition for "historic sign" will be added and a modification will be made to clarify that certain prohibited sign -types will be allowed to remain if they are considered to be historical. ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS As part of the project review, an environmental assessment was made to evaluate the impacts of the project. It was determined that the proposed project could not have a significant impact on the environment. As such, a Negative Declaration was prepared by staff and circulated for public review and comment on March 30, 2001. As of the date of preparing this report, no comments on the Negative Declaration were received. ANALYSIS As with the previous amendments to the Sign Ordinance, the changes are proposed to keep in place the Council's original intent in 1990 and continue to facilitate compliance with the requirements. The following areas are ones for which changes have been proposed: Definitions A definition for "historic sign" would be added to Section 17.19. 11 as follows: SIGN HISTORIC shall mean a sign of cultural or architectural significance to the citizens of the City of Santa Clarita State of California Southern California Region, or the nation which may be eligible for nomination or designation and determined to be appropriate for preservation by the City pursuant to the provisions of Section 17.19.012.C. Administration - Historic Signs In order to develop provisions for the preservation of historic signs, a historic sign sub -section would be added under the existing Administrative Variance (Director's Adjustment) section of the Sign Ordinance. This section would identify the application requirements and identify specific criteria the Hearing Officer must make when deeming a sign to be historic. The section would be modified as follows: C. Administrative Variance (Director's Adjustment) 1. Purpose. The Director of Planning & Building Services or his/her designee is appointed Sign Hearing,Officer. Under cases of hardship or unusual circumstances, the Sign Hearing Officer shall have the authority to grant a variance from the standards contained in the City's Sign Ordinance or deem a sign to be historic if it meets the historic criteria. Provided, however, no variance may be granted that would permit prohibited signage as provided in Section 17.19.200. 2. Application. An adjustment or historic sign request shall be made on forms as prescribed by the Director of Planning & Building Services. Three (3) sets of plans depicting a site layout and elevations as well as details of the proposed signage and any applicable fees shall be submitted. The fee shall equal the fee for adjustments. 3. Approval Authority. The Sign Hearing Officer shall render a decision to approve, approve with modifications, or deny the variance or historic sign re uest. Such a review shall ensure that any sign proposal is in conformance with this title and consistent with its intent and purpose. 4. Findings. The Hearing Office- may approve a variance or historic si request, with or without modifications if on the basis of the application and evidence submitted the Director maks the foRowing findings or meets the historic criteria: 5. Historic Criteria a. That it meets the criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places or the California Register of Historical Resources or b. That it is at least 50 years old or, is of exceptional importance and is one or more of the followin (1) That it exemplifies or reflects special elements of the City's history, (2) That it embodies distinguishing architectural characteristics of a style type. period, or method of construction: community or the Cit (4) That is a business over 50 years old considered to have extensive local significance within the Santa Clarita Valley. Sub -section F would be added to the Sign Ordinance in order to clarity that historic signs would count toward the overall sign area allowed for a business. A historic sign would not count as additional or bonus signage to the Sign Ordinance provisions. However, "permanent memorial or historical signs, plaques or markers" are exempt from this requirement. This section would read as follows: D. Allowable Area If a sign is deemed to be historical by the Sign Hearing Officer, the sign area of the subject sign shall count toward the overall allowable sign area Prohibited Signage Section 17.19.200, Prohibited Signage, will be modified to address sign types which are prohibited unless they are deemed historical through the Administrative Variance process by the Sign Hearing Officer. This section would be modified as follows: K Projecting signs, except for under marquee signs or if deemed historic per Section 17.19.012.C; L. Roof signs, unless deemed historic per Section 17 19.012.C; and M. Painted signs (wall -painted directional signs may be permitted, subject to the satisfaction of the Director of Planning and Building Services), or if deemed historic per Section 17.19.012.C. General Plan The proposed project could be found to be consistent with the following goals and policies of the General Plan: 1) Goal 10, Policy 10.1 of the Open Space and Conservation Element which seeks to "strongly encourage the preservation of valuable historical structures and consider the development". 2) Goal 4, Policy 4.1 of the Community Design Element which seeks to "identify historical areas and structures of local significance to the Santa Clarita Valley." 3) Goal 4, Policy 4.9 of the Land Use Element which seeks to "ensure that signage on new and existing development is visually attractive and provides a high quality image for the City." Therefore, staff feels that the City Council could find the project to be consistent with the General Plan. CONCLUSION Signs are an important element of both the business and aesthetics of the City of Santa Clarita. There are signs that can be considered to have historical significance in the rich history of the Santa Clarita Valley and this proposed amendment would address provisions to preserve this history. Staff believes that the proposed changes to the Sign Ordinance meet the needs of the community and further the aesthetic goals of the General Plan. FISCAL IMPACT No fiscal impact to the City budget is anticipated as a result of the recommended action. ALTERNATIVE ACTION 1. The City Council may elect not to adopt the recommended Ordinance and allow the Sign Regulations to remain as they are presently. 2. Other action as determined by the Council. ATTACHMENTS 1. Resolution 01- 2. Draft Ordinance 01- 3. E-mail from Citizen READING FILE 1. Negative Declaration & Initial Study JJL:VPB:ED s:pbs \council\ 01-085 \AgdaReport CITY OF SANTA CLARITA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION AND ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AMENDING CHAPTER 17.19 OF THE SANTA CLARITA UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE ESTABLISHING STANDARDS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC SIGNS PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: A Public Hearing will be held before the City of Santa Clarita City Council on this matter and associated potential environmental impacts, if any, at the following time and location: DATE: May 22, 2001 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: City Council Chambers 23920 Valencia Boulevard, First Floor Santa Clarita, CA 91355 PROJECT LOCATION: Citywide APPLICATION: Master Case 01-085, UDC Amendment 01-01 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This is a request to Amend the City's Unified Development Code, Chapter 17.19 (Sign Regulations) establishing specific standards for the preservation of historic signs. It is the purpose of this section to establish a comprehensive system for the regulation of signs with historical significance within the City and thereby make Santa Clarita attractive to residents, visitors, commercial, industrial and professional businesses while maintaining economic stability through an attractive sign program. PROJECT PROPONENT: City of Santa Clarita A DRAFT NEGATIVE DECLARATION has been prepared for the proposed amendment and is available for public review beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 30, 2001 at: City Hall Planning and Building Services Department 23920 Valencia Boulevard, Suite 302 Santa Clarita, CA 91355 Proponents, opponents, and any interested persons may appear and be heard on this matter during the public hearing. Further information may be obtained by contacting Enrique Diaz of the Planning & Building Services Department, Santa Clarita City Hall, 23920 Valencia Boulevard, Suite 302, Santa Clarita, California. Phone No. (661) 255-4330. If you wish to challenge the action taken on this matter in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clarita at, or prior to, the public hearing. Written correspondence received by Wednesday, April 16, 2001 will be included in the written material received by the City Council prior to the public hearing. Dated: April 25, 2001 Sharon L. Dawson, CMC City Clerk Publish Date: April 30, 2001 pbslcurrenUsignage/O1-085/Nnotice2 PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on May 22, 2001, the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita introduced an Ordinance entitled: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING CHAPTER 17.19 OF THE SANTA CLARITA MUNICIPAL CODE, ESTABLISHING PROVISIONS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC SIGNS TO THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE (UDC AMENDMENT 01-01) A certified copy of the complete text of the ordinance is posted and may be read in the City Clerk's Office, 23920 Valencia Boulevard, Suite 301, Santa Clarita, and/or a copy may be obtained from that office. Dated this 24`" day of May, 2001. Sharon L. Dawson, CMC, City Clerk City of Santa Clarita STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) CITY OF SANTA CLARITA ) Sharon L. Dawson, being first duly sworn, deposes and says that she is the duly appointed and qualified City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita and that by Thursday, May 24, 2001, she caused a certified copy of the subject ordinance to be posted and made available for public review in the City Clerk's office and a copy of the ordinance summary to be published as required by law. ,�� Sharon L. Dawson, CMC, City Clerk City of Santa Clarita