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Home My WebLink AboutARB202000044 Staff Report 2020-07-14ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project #/Name ARB-2020-44: Schewels Home Sign Review Type Certificate of Appropriateness for a Sign Parcel Identification 04500-00-00-112DO Location 2020 Seminole Trail Zoned Highway Commercial (HC)/Entrance Corridor (EC) Owner/Applicant Schewel Charlottesville/Hightech Signs (Kristyn Jones) Magisterial District Rio Proposal To install a freestanding sign. Context The sign is proposed to be located on a parcel that is already developed with the Schewels store. Other commercial develo ments are located along Rt. 29 to the north and south. Visibility The sign will be readily visible from the EC. ARB Meeting Date July 20, 2020 Staff Contact Margaret Maliszewski PROJECT HISTORY The applicant's representative first contacted the County about a freestanding sign for this location in February 2020. A sign application was received on April 3, 2020. Staff comments on the proposal included a request to replace the metal pole cover base with a brick base for consistency with other nearby monument signs. The applicant's May 15 response addressed most of staff s requested revisions but noted that Schewels did not care for the look or expense of a brick base and asked that the design be approved. Staff explained the reasoning for the requested revision, and on June 4 the applicant asked for the decision to be appealed to the ARB. Staff consulted with the ARB chairperson and the item was scheduled for ARB review. In the Fall and Winter of 2019, and again recently, staff discussed potential new wall signs for the store building. PROPOSAL The proposed sign consists of a 4' tall x 8' wide internally illuminated aluminum cabinet above a 4' wide x 8' tall metal -panel -covered pole. rWEIVA rM REF I GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION II General Sign Guidelines 1 Create a consistent and unified design approach along Two signs located to the immediate south Revise the sign design to the Entrance Corridors. The placement, size, illumination of Schewels (Keglers and Rivanna Plaza, a monument style with a and colors of signs can create unity along the corridor, or Figure 1) are monument style signs brick base. they can create a disjointed, visually competitive consisting of cabinets on brick bases. environment. Consistent and unified sign design allows the Other freestanding signs in the vicinity businesses located along the Corridor to have equal standing (Atlantic Union Bank, Walmart, in visibility. It also provides a pattern of sign placement that Honda/Jeep) also have brick bases. Thevertical orientation and metal -panel - makes the business locations and entrances more easily covered pole of the Schewels proposal are recognizable to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. not consistent with these signs. 2 Establish simplicity and reserve as preferred Proposed sign materials include metal and characteristics for sign design in these areas. This reflects acrylic. The Schewels building predates the historic character of the area and enhances the aesthetic the establishment of the Entrance qualities of the Corridor. To this end, the overall design of a Corridors (Figure 2). The general forms, sign will be evaluated concurrently with that of the building materials and character of the building are on which it will be installed. The design of a building's not consistent with the guidelines. walls, window locations, parapets and other architectural Coordinating a new freestanding sign with other signs along the corridor would be features will influence the Board's evaluation of appropriate more appropriate than coordinating it with signage. Likewise, a freestanding sign is evaluated in the a building that doesn't meet the EC context of the overall development in which it will be guidelines. placed. Because each site is composed of a variety of elements that work together to create a unique character and appearance, ARB review of each sign proposal is guided by these sign guidelines within the context of the specific site for which the proposal is made. 4c Materials: Materials used in both the sign and support structures should complement the building and/or multiple business center see page 14 being served by the sign. 8b Materials used in both the sign and support structures should be complementary. They should also support the aesthetics of the building and /or complex being served by the sign, although a direct duplication is not necessary. It is REF GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION preferred that the base material match one of the primary building materials unless the design of the sign represents itself as a freestanding element complementing the building. 4 Design Compatibility 4b Scale and Size: Signs located within the Entrance Corridor The proposed sign meets zoning ordinance None. may not exceed the size, height and setback requirements size requirements. as outlined in Section 4.15 of the Albemarle County Zoning Ordinance (unless the sign has received a variance). 4d Lettering and Typeface: Lettering should be in proportion Letter sizes are not indicated on the None. to the sign and the building for visual clarity and overall drawings, but the letters do not appear to balance. Proportion of lettering includes font (size) and be over -scaled and the clear space shown typeface (style). The use of three typefaces or fewer is around the text appears to be sufficient. more appropriate for signs in the Entrance Corridor. One typeface is proposed. Additional typefaces may be approved only if they contribute to a balanced, legible, unified sign design. 4e Color: Colors must be harmonious with each other. Colors Three colors are proposed: Pantone red Revise the cabinet must not clash with other elements on the site, both when 185 for the cabinet, grey 877 for the pole background color from viewed in daylight and at night, whether the signs are cover and "home" letters, and white for the red 185 to red 187. externally or internally lit. Overly intense color, such as "Schewels" letters. Generally, red, grey but not limited to dayglo or fluorescent colors, are and white are harmonious colors. prohibited. However, red 185 does not fall within the range of colors typically recommended for The use of three colors or fewer is more appropriate for approval. Red 187, a darker shade of red, signs in the Entrance Corridor. Black and white are has been approved for other signs in the Entrance Corridors. The face of the sign counted as colors. Additional colors may be approved if cabinet is aluminum, so the red they contribute to a balanced and unified sign design. background will not illuminate. For raceway -mounted channel letters, raceways shall match the wall color. 4f Trademarks, corporate logos and graphics: The ARB No graphics are proposed. None. may require that the color and scale of standard templates for trademarks, service marks, corporate logos and REF GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION graphics be modified. When used, trademarks, service marks, corporate logos and/or graphics should be incorporated as an integral part of the overall sign. 5 Lighting: The purpose of ARB review is to ensure that Internal LED illumination is proposed and None. new development in the Entrance Corridors is compatible is consistent with other nearby with the historic architecture of the County and to promote freestanding signs. orderly and attractive development. There is no historical precedent for internally illuminated signs.. However, the The aluminum cabinet is opaque. The ARB recognizes the need to identify businesses to help the white push -through acrylic letters would traveling public find their destination and exit the highway illuminate. No outlines are proposed. safely. 5a When illumination is required, the preferred solution is to externally illuminate the sign — in other words, to shine a light on the sign. External illumination is preferred because it allows consistency with the daytime image of the sign. External lighting appears to the viewer as reflected light and allows the focus of the sign to be the original overall shape, color and complete design of the sign. Internal lighting produces a fragmented, rather than unified, sign image at night compared to external lighting and may project light that is distracting to the viewer. Similarly, exposed light sources that form the body of a sign (such as, but not limited to, exposed or bare neon) are not appropriate for the Entrance Corridors. They can produce glare and, generally, do not achieve the subtle character and compatibility that is the goal for the Entrance Corridors. 5f Internal Illumination: Any internal illumination is considered to contribute to visual clutter and will be limited. 8e i. External illumination is preferred for freestanding signs. 8e iv. Cabinet signs shall have a non -illuminated background, or an opaque (zero light transmission) background. Cabinet signs shall be constructed such that no light spills outward REF GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION from the top, bottom, sides or back. If outlines of letters are proposed, the width of the outline must be in proportion to the width of the letter. An outline width of 1/8" has been found to be an appropriate dimension for signs in the Entrance Corridors. Sg All Illumination shall be non -blinking. Blinking lights are not proposed. None. III Guidelines for Specific Sign Types 8 Freestanding Signs 8a Monument signs are preferred to pole -mounted signs The proposed sign has a steel pole at its Revise the sign design to because they are often of a smaller scale and can be more core, but the pole is not visible because it a monument style with a fully integrated into the overall development. Pole signs is hidden by the sign cabinet and the pole brick base. may be considered for approval if existing site conditions cover. The vertical orientation of the sign rule out the ability to use a monument sign, and only when sets it apart from monument style signs. the pole is in proportion to the sign cabinet or panel. 8c The structure of a monument sign shall not overwhelm the The sign cabinet and pole cover have the None. sign. The structure and the sign that it supports must be in same dimensions. The base does not proportion to each other. overwhelm the cabinet. 8d Landscaping: Use ground cover, shrubs and/or trees to The area between the parking lot and the None. integrate freestanding signs into the overall landscape street already contains landscaping development of the site. Refer to the Albemarle County (Figures 3 and 4). Shamrock holly align Recommended Plants List, which is included in the the perimeter of the parking lot. Locust Albemarle County Architectural Review Board Design trees and Crape myrtles are distributed Guidelines and is available on-line at www.albemarle.org. throughout the grassy area. The sign is proposed to be located between a Locust tree and a Crape myrtle tree at the northern end of the parking row that is closest to the street. Alternating shrubs (Japanese Aucuba and Vernal Witch hazel) are proposed to be added at the base of the sign. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS: Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: 1. The proposed sign base and materials. 2. The shade of red proposed for the cabinet background. Staff recommends approval of the proposal with the following conditions: 1. Revise the cabinet background color from red 185 to red 187. 2. Revise the sign design to a monument style with a brick base. 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