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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVA199900007 Correspondence 1999-03-04 INNERSPACE Zoning Variance Application Signage at ACAC 1695 Seminole Trail 3.01.99 3.04.99 (rev.) Description of Request The applicant(ACAC)is requesting that the Department of Zoning consider an increase in allowable signage on the secondary roadside elevation of their facility at Albemarle Square. The lineal footage of the secondary(western)elevation is 176 feet. This lineal footage times the .5 square feet allowable on a secondary elevation is 88.5 square feet. The proposed signage for this elevation is 154 square feet. The variance that ACAC requests from the Board of Zoning is to increase the allowable square footage of signage on the secondary elevation by 65.5 square feet. Justification 1) The hardship produced that motivates this request is a function of the relation of the ACAC Albemarle Square facility to other surrouding facilities and to Route 29. ACAC chose to convert the back of the former Best Products Building into their primary entrance. This decision made use of a decaying 225 space parking lot as primary parking for ACAC's facility and better distributed the parking throughout Albemarle Square Shopping Center The negative impact that this decision had on ACAC is that it removed the entrance to the facility from the entrance of the shopping center. Therefore, ACAC's secondary elevation, which is the same elevation as the entrance to the shopping center, is the elevation most visible to Route 29 and the elevation most people traveling to ACAC first see. The facility's entrance elevation(primary elevation)is tucked behind other buildings and is barely visible from Route 29. Signage at ACAC's entrance elevation serves primarily to identify the facility to those who have already determined and know their destination. Therefore, ACAC would like to make their secondary elevation their primary signage location. It is the unique orientation of the facility's entrance and its relation other surrounding facilities and to the Route 29 entrance cooridor that presents the hardship which motivates this request for additional signage square footage. ACAC's northern(entrance)elevation is 250 lineal feet. The existing approved signage on this elevation is 117.25 square feet. Proposed signage for the western elevation 77' x 2' or 154 square feet of signage. March 04, 1999 Zoning Variance Application seventh Street NE Charlottesville •Virginia 22902 Sionaee:at ACAC Tel. 804.245.0075 • Fat. 804.245.0072 I 'd LS1si -b96-b08 Roes eJewel d6I :80 66 •0 JeW Mar 04 99 08: 19p Tamara Lac 804-964-1457 p. 2 2)No other property in the surrounding area has two road side elevations where the elevation with the entrance is almost completely blocked by view from Route 29. 3)The signage that will be created under this variance request will maintain and/or enhance the quality of the character of the district in that this allows for a higher quality signage material. In addition, this request should provide benefit to adjacent properties as opposed to creating any type of detriment. Clearly identifying ACAC not only offers benefit to ACAC,but also offers benefit to surrounding properties which are enhanced by the location of ACAC. March 04, 1999 Zoning Variance Application Siuna.ge at ACAC • INNERSPACE Zoning Variance Application Signage at ACAC 1695 Seminole Trail \%\, 3.01.99 Description of Request The applicant (ACAC) is requesting the Department of Zoning to look at p 'mary and secondary elevations collectively on the ACAC building in determining the allowable signage square footage. ACAC has two roadside elevations. According to Zoning Ordinance 4.15.7.5, 1.5 square feet of signage per lineal foot of elevation is allowable on the primary elevation (the elevation where the facility entrance is located), and .5 square feet of signage per lineal foot of elevation is allowable on the second road side elevation. The applicant is requesting permission to define the elevation where the facility entrance is located as the secondary elevation and the other roadside elevation as primary for the purpose of calculating signage square footages. Justification 1) The hardship produced that motivates this request is a function of the position of this facility and its relation to other surrounding buildings and to Route 29. ACAC chose to convert an abandoned and decaying parking lot into its primary entrance. This provided 225 additional parking spaces to Albemarle Square and better distributed the use of the land. The negative to ACAC that this decision presented is that the facility's entrance, given that it is behind other buildings, lacks exposure to the entrance corridor of Route 29. Therefore, any signage on this entrance elevation serves only to identify the facility to those who have determined their destimation as opposed to offering any identification of the facility to the traffic on Route 29. Therefore, we are requesting that the western elevation be treated as the primary elevation since this elevation is-the entrance elevation to the shopping center and offers the most exposure to Route 29. If the western elevation is treated as primary, the signage square footage calculations are as follows: Western Elevation (Primary Elevation) 176 lineal feet x 1.5 square feet= 200 square feet maximum signage Northern Elevation 250 lineal feet x .5 square feet = 125 square feet maximum signage Existing Signage on the northern elevation is 117.25 square feet Proposed signage for the western elevation is 154 square feet (77' x 2') March 01, 1999 Zoning Variance Application ,enth Street NE • Charlottesville • Virginia 22902 SianaPe at ACAC Tel. 804.245.0075 • Fax. 804.245.0072 • 2)No other property in the surrounding area has two road side elevations where the elevation with the entrance is almost completely blocked by view from Route 29. 3)The signage that will be created under this variance request will maintain and/or enhance the quality of the character of the district in that this allows for a higher quality signage material. In addition, this request should provide benefit to adjacent properties as opposed to creating any type of detriment. Clearly identifying ACAC not only offers benefit to ACAC, but also offers benefit to surrounding properties which are enhanced by the existence of ACAC. March 01, 1999 Zoning Variance Application Signawe at ACAC