Case Number: |
A-15-061 |
Date: |
April 6, 2015 |
Applicant: |
Christus Santa Rosa |
Owner: |
Christus Santa Rosa Health Care Corporation |
Council District: |
6 |
Location: |
11130 Christus Hills |
Legal Description: |
Lot 10, Block 1, NCB 17640 |
Zoning: |
"C-3 GC-2 AHOD" General Commercial Highway 151 Gateway Corridor Overlay Airport Hazard Overlay District |
Case Manager: |
Margaret Pahl, AICP Senior Planner |
Request
A request for a variance from the 21 day time limit for inflatable temporary signs, as stated in Section 28-242, to allow an inflatable sign to be used for a four month period.
Executive Summary
The subject property is approximately 5 acres, and is part of a large Medical Campus owned and operated by the Christus Santa Rosa Health Care Corporation located in the Westover Hills area. The subject building is a 75,000 square foot three story medical office building built in 2013. Specific tenant finishes have been underway throughout this building and last year the company decided to add an emergency room specifically for children on the ground floor. An existing emergency room is already operational across the street in a different building within the large campus. This children's emergency room is scheduled to open to the public at the end of April.
According to the application, the permanent sign package will not be completed until late June and the applicant is seeking a variance from the time limit established for temporary inflatable signage. Section 28-242 allows inflatable signs for a maximum period of 21 days per calendar quarter per platted lot. The applicant is requesting that this limitation be extended to allow the inflatable for a time-frame between 3 and 4 months. They assert that this facility will be the only Children's Emergency Room in the northwest area of the city and they state that this inflatable is necessary in order to correctly locate the facility. According to their application, from all perimeter roads and State Highway 151, only the roof-top of Medical Office Building III is visible.
Subject Property Zoning/Land Use
Existing Zoning |
Existing Use |
"C-3 GC-2 AHOD" General Commercial Highway 151 Gateway Corridor Overlay Airport Hazard Overlay District |
Medical Office Building |
Surrounding Zoning/Land Use
Orientation |
Existing Zoning District(s) |
Existing Use |
North |
"C-3 GC-2 AHOD" General Commercial Highway 151 Gateway Corridor Overlay Airport Hazard Overlay District |
Hospital |
South |
"C-3 GC-2 AHOD" General Commercial Highway 151 Gateway Corridor Overlay Airport Hazard Overlay District |
Skilled Nursing Facility |
East |
"C-3 GC-2 AHOD" General Commercial Highway 151 Gateway Corridor Overlay Airport Hazard Overlay District |
Medical Office Building |
West |
"ED AHOD" Entertainment Airport Hazard Overlay District |
Vacant |
Comprehensive Plan Consistency/Neighborhood Association
The property is within the boundaries of the West/Southwest Sector Plan, and designated as Regional Center land use. The subject property is not located within the boundaries of a registered neighborhood association.
Criteria for Review
Pursuant to Section 28-247 of Chapter 28: Signs and Billboards of the City Code, in order for a variance to be granted, the applicant must demonstrate:
1. The variance is necessary because strict enforcement of this article prohibits any reasonable opportunity to provide adequate signs on the site, considering the unique features of a site such as its dimensions, landscaping, or topography; or
2. A denial of the variance would probably cause a cessation of legitimate, longstanding active commercial use of the property; and
The applicant states that when providing emergency services, time delays can be critical. However, the entrance into the campus and the existing signage for emergency care leads one to an internal decision to turn left or right, with the existing emergency room on one side of the street and the new children's specialized center on the opposite. Staff suggests that a roof-top balloon is not the optimal way to direct the driver in this setting. A denial of the variance would not cause a cessation of this service within the community, but rather enforce a limitation of time-frame on a marketing strategy popular among the advertising community.
3. After seeking one or more of the findings set forth in subparagraphs (1) and (2), the Board finds that:
A. Granting the variance does not provide the applicant with a special privilege not enjoyed by others similarly situated or potentially similarly situated.
The applicant's requested signage would serve to market the new location of an existing service to the community. Emergency care is already established as a service within the campus. That said, every business would enjoy the attention of a large inflatable sign floating above their roof. Therefore, the variance does provide the applicant with a special privilege not enjoyed by others similarly situated.
B. Granting the variance will not have a substantially adverse impact on neighboring properties.
It is unlikely that the variance will have a substantial adverse impact on neighboring properties, since the medical campus is so expansive occupying over 35 acres. However, if every business in the area were to seek inflatable signage, it could be distracting.
C. Granting the variance will not substantially conflict with the stated purposes of this article.
The legislative purposes of the adopted sign regulations are to provide minimum standards to protect the general public by regulating the design, construction, location, use and maintenance of out-door advertising signs. The owner is proposing the time-frame variance to announce the arrival of a new location of an existing service. Since the Code provides specific limitations on the use of inflatable signage, the variance would conflict with the purpose of the regulation.
Alternative to Applicant's Request
The applicant must remove the inflatable after the 21 day limitation.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends DENIAL of the requested sign variance requested in A-15-061 based on the following findings of fact:
1. |
That the variance allows the extension of a time frame established for temporary signage. |
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