HomeMy WebLinkAboutARB200900065 Review Comments Miscellaneous Submittal 2009-08-17ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT
Project #: Name
ARB- 2009 -65: Tenant Panel Wall Sign for Blue Ridge Shopping
Center Building C
Review Type
Certificate of Appropriateness for a Sign
Parcel Identification
Tax Map 56, Parcel 110
Location
545 Radford Lane, on the south side of Route 250 West, on the north
elevation of Building C in the Blue Ridge Shopping Center.
Zoned
Highway Commercial (HC), Entrance Corridor (EC)
Owner /Applicant
Preston O. Stallings
Primary Contact
Randy Smith, Talley Anchor Sign Company
Magisterial District
Whitehall
Proposal
To install a multi- tenant wall sign in an established shopping center, with 1
tenant panel.
ARB Meeting Date
September 8, 2009
Staff Contact
Brent Nelson
SITE/PROJECT HISTORY
• 8/18/09: ARB 09 -60, Dr. Maybee DDS, Blue Ridge Shopping Center, Building C Wall Sign,
Administrative approval.
• 5/27/09: ARB 09 -50, Harris Teeter/Blue Ridge Shopping Center Freestanding Sign, Administrative
approval.
• 12/18/08: ARB 08 -1872S & 1873S, Harris Teeter Signs, Administrative approval.
• 7/6/07: ARB 03 -64, Blue Ridge Shopping Center, Building C, Approval.
LOCATION /CONTEXT
The proposed wall -mount cabinet sign is to be located on the north (EC) elevation of Building C in the
Blue Ridge Shopping Center. Building C is located south of (behind) the BB &T branch bank currently
under construction in the northwest corner of the shopping center. The sign is to be located at the east end
of the elevation in the sign band. The proposed sign design is compatible with the existing freestanding
sign at the shopping center entrance. This section of the EC is characterized by a mixture of development
types including the Clover Lawn commercial buildings, Liberty Hall residential
condominiums /townhomes and the Cory Farms single family subdivision.
VISIBILITY
Due to its 6' height and location near the top of the elevation, this sign is expected to be highly visible
from the Route 250 West Entrance Corridor.
ARB 9/8/2009 Blue Ridge Shopping Center, Building C, Tenant Panel Sign — Page 1
PROPOSAL
Type: Internally illuminated cabinet sign with 7 tenant panels
Materials: Aluminum, acrylic, vinyl
Overall Cabinet Size: 72" (h) x 48" (w) x 8" (d)
Tenant Panel Size: 7 -1 /2" (h) x 44" (w)
Text:
Top panel: DR. DAVID MAYBEE D.D.S.
Lower panels: To Be Determined
Fonts:
Top panel: 1
Lower panels: To Be Determined
Graphic: Mountain Range
Colors:
Cabinet:
Mountain Range: PMS 290C Pale Blue; PMS 286C Midnight Blue; PMS 249C Delft Blue
Cabinet: PMS 294C Delft Blue
All Tenant Panels:
Background: PMS 285C Wave Blue
Text: White
Location: In the north elevation of Building C, at the east end of the brick facade above the
storefront/arcade
Mounting: Bolted to the brick facade
Illumination: Internal LED
ANALYSIS (based on a sign drawing with the latest revision date of 8/11/09)
Issue: Approved Sign Type & Location/Overcrowding Building Facade
Comments: The applicant is proposing a 6' tall by 4' wide cabinet sign at the east end of the elevation in
the brick facade above the storefronts and arcade. The Comprehensive Sign Criteria for Building C (see
Attachment A) allow for white channel letter signs, 24" tall maximum, in the approved brick sign band
areas in the north and east elevations. ARB General Sign Guidelines state Wall signs shall be integrated
with the architecture of the building and the placement of such signs should not obscure architectural
details, including but not limited to, cornices, windows, columns, pilasters and paneling. The Guidelines
also state The sign should not overcrowd the architectural element, the wall or the sign area. The
applicant's sign is proposed in a highly visible location on the facade (see photos Attachment B), with a
proposed sign type that is not compatible with the channel letter and hanging panel sign types approved
for this elevation. The sign, in its proposed location, overlaps the brick corner column detail (edge) and
the adjacent sign band area to the right. In the photo simulation provided with this application, the lack of
sufficient brick showing to the left, top and bottom of the sign makes it appear to overcrowd the area,
based upon the approved elevation drawings. The sign, as presented in the photo simulation, is not to
scale, appearing shorter than the proposed 6' height. Dimensioned drawings of the sign and elevation
were not provided with this application. The approved building elevation drawings are included in this
report as Attachment C. Shown at the correct scale, the sign, as currently proposed, is expected to overlap
the brick soldier course detailing above the arcade opening below.
Staff recognizes the need for a multi- tenant sign for this building; however, the sign type and size is not
appropriate for this location. The sign, in its current location, has a forced and awkward appearance,
appearing as an uncoordinated afterthought. A more appropriate location for the sign would be on the
ARB 9/8/2009 Blue Ridge Shopping Center, Building C, Tenant Panel Sign — Page 2
brick column directly below the proposed location. The 4' width of the column would require that the
cabinet sign be reduced in width to allow for a sufficient amount of the brick to be visible on all sides,
acting as a border. An appropriate height for the sign would be one where the top of the cabinet is no
higher the top of the arcade opening to the right. The existing building street number, directly above, may
need to be relocated higher up on the elevation to avoid conflicts with the revised cabinet location. The
applicant has verbally indicated that the text font for the panels below Dr David Maybee D.D.S. may
vary, and all 7 panels are to have the same background color PMS 285C Wave Blue. This is not noted on
the drawing. Variation in the text font between panels would allow for more readability.
Recommendations: Revise the sign proposal to show the multi- tenant cabinet sign on the brick column
directly below the current location. Revise the cabinet/sign design, as required, to allow a sufficient
amount of brick to show on all 4 sides of the sign. Locate the cabinet on the column so that the top of the
cabinet is no higher than the top of the arcade opening to the right. Clarify the proposal by revising the
sign drawing with a note indicating that the text font for the tenant panels below Dr. David Maybee
D.D.S. may vary, and all tenant panels are to have the same background color PMS 285C Wave Blue.
Issue: Proposed Illumination
Comments: The proposed multi- tenant cabinet sign is to be internally illuminated with LED lighting. The
applicant has verbally indicated that the tenant panel background and cabinet are to be opaque, with only
the text illuminating; however, the relevant notation on the sign drawing is not clear. LED lighting
proposals are required to include the following note not included with this submission: The level of
illumination provided by the LED lights will not exceed the illumination produced by a single stroke of 30
milliamp (ma) neon.
Recommendations: Revise the sign drawing notation to clearly indicate that both the tenant panel
background and cabinet will be opaque, with only the text illuminating, and add the note The level of
illumination provided by the LED lights will not exceed the illumination produced by a single stroke of 30
milliamp (ma) neon.
Issue: Drafting Errors
Comments: The sign application drawing has the tenant panel notation misspelled as TENENT and the
Delft Blue color misspelled as Deist Blue.
Recommendations: Revise the misspelled label TENENT on the sign drawing to read TENANT and the
misspelled label Deist Blue to read Delft Blue.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion:
1. The sign type and location.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff does not recommend approval of the Certificate of Appropriateness for the sign in its current
location. Staff does recommend approval of the sign pending staff administrative approval of the
following conditions:
1. Revise the sign proposal to show the multi- tenant cabinet sign on the brick column directly below the
current location. Revise the cabinet/sign design, as required, to allow a sufficient amount of brick to
show on all 4 sides of the sign. Locate the cabinet on the column so that the top of the cabinet is no
higher than the top of the arcade opening to the right. Clarify the proposal by revising the sign
drawing with a note indicating that the text font for the tenant panels below Dr. David Maybee D.D.S.
ARB 9/8/2009 Blue Ridge Shopping Center, Building C, Tenant Panel Sign — Page 3
may vary, and all tenant panels are to have the same background color PMS 285C Wave Blue.
2. Revise the sign drawing notation to clearly indicate that both the tenant panel background and cabinet
will be opaque, with only the text illuminating, and add the note The level of illumination provided by
the LED lights will not exceed the illumination produced by a single stroke of 30 milliamp (ma) neon.
3. Revise the misspelled label TENENT on the sign drawing to read TENANT and the misspelled label
Deist Blue to read Delft Blue.
ARB 9/8/2009 Blue Ridge Shopping Center, Building C, Tenant Panel Sign — Page 4
Attachment A
ARB COMPREHENSIVE SIGN REVIEW APPROVED CONDITIONS
PROJECT #/NAME: ARB- 2003 -64: Blue Ridge Shopping Center Building C
TAX MAP/PARCEL#: Tax Map 56, Parcel 110
SIGN FEATURE
PRIMARY WALL SIGNS
SUSPENDED CANOPY
SIGNS
SIGN TYPE
Channel Letters
Panel
LETTER FACE COLOR
White
Beige Arlon Cast #68
TRIM CAP
COLOR/RETURN
Black
N/A
COLOR
RACEWAY COLOR
To match the color of the wall
N/A
to which it is attached.
PANEL COLOR
N/A
Medium brown BR 2418
SIZE LIMITATIONS
24" high maximum, must fit
within sign area outlined on
8" x 40" oval
approved drawings.
LOCATION(S)
On the north and east
elevations, in the sign band
area, within the sign area
Under canopy
outlined on the approved
drawings.
MOUNTING DETAILS
Channel letters mounted on
Suspended under canopy
raceway.
LOGO /GRAPHICS
Logos and graphics must be
DETAILS
fully integrated with the
1 i „ border in beige
channel letter sign, and must
meet all EC guidelines.
ILLUMINATION
DETAILS
Internal
- --
TEXT
Bottom justified
No limit
LETTER TYPE/FONT
No limit
No limit
OTHER
ARB 9/8/2009 Blue Ridge Shopping Center, Building C Sign, Attachment A — Page 5
Attachment A
FREESTANDING SIGN TENANT PANELS (ARB -08 -134)
Panel Sizes and Colors (top to bottom):
Top panel: 17.5" high x 53.75" wide; PMS 290C Pale Blue background; PMS 294C Delft Blue
text
2nd panel" 10.5" high x 53.75" wide; PMS 292C Bayshore Blue background; PMS 294C Delft
Blue text
3`d panel: 10.5" high x 53.75" wide; PMS 285C Wave Blue background; White text
Bottom panel: 10.5" high x 53.75" wide; PMS 286C Midnight Blue background; White text
Letter Style: Limited to one letter style per panel
Illumination: Internal florescent, only text shall illuminate, all backgrounds are opaque
This form outlines the specific design criteria established for signs at this location.
All standard EC Sign Guidelines also apply.
ARB 9/8/2009 Blue Ridge Shopping Center, Building C Sign, Attachment A — Page 6
Attachment B
ARB 9/8/2009 Blue Ridge Shopping Center, Building C Sign, Attachment B — Page 7