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Home My WebLink AboutARB200900086 Review Comments Miscellaneous Submittal 2009-10-23ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project #: Name ARB- 2009 -86: Century Link — Signs Review Type Certificate of Appropriateness for Signs Parcel Identification Tax Map 61W, Section 1, Block A, Parcel 4 Location 1240 Seminole Trail, at the northwest corner of the intersection of Seminole Trail and Greenbrier Drive. Zoned Commercial (C1), Entrance Corridor (EC) Owner Sheou -Jong or Li Yun Chiang Applicant Rondi Furgason, Embarq /CenturyLink Magisterial District Rio Proposal To reface a freestanding tenant panel and 2 hanging cabinet signs. ARB Meeting Date November 2, 2009 Staff Contact Brent Nelson SITE/PROJECT HISTORY • 3/25/05: ARB 04 -85: Pet Supplies Plus, Final Site Development Plan, approved. This approval included comprehensive sign criteria (Attachment A: approved criteria). • Existing Pet Supplies Plus cabinet wall signs, centered above windows on the southeast (EC) elevation, were installed without a sign permit; yellow sign text not approved. LOCATION /CONTEXT The applicant is proposing to reface 2 hanging cabinet signs on the Pet Supplies Plus building located in the northwest corner of the intersection of Route 29 and Greenbrier Drive. They are also proposing to reface the corresponding freestanding tenant panel sign. One hanging cabinet sign is located approximately 80' northwest of the Route 29 right -of -way in the southeast (EC) elevation. The other hanging cabinet sign is located in the southwest elevation (facing Greenbrier Drive), approximately 90' northwest of the Corridor. The freestanding multi- tenant sign is located at the south end of the parcel, adjacent to the Route 29 /Greenbrier Drive right -of -way. This section of the Route 29N Entrance Corridor is densely developed with a variety of multi- tenant retail and commercial office developments. VISIBILITY The hanging cabinet signs are highly visible due to their height on the building and close proximity to Route 29. The freestanding multi- tenant sign is also highly visible due to its close proximity to the Corridor. PROPOSAL SIGNS 1 & 2 Type: Existing hanging cabinet, refacing ARB 11/2/09, Century Link Sign, - Page 1 Material: Aluminum, plex and vinyl Text: "CenturyLink" Graphic: Sunburst pattern Overall Size: 2' (h) x 11' (w) Text Size: 1' -3 1 /2" (h) x 7' -7" (w) Logo Size: 1' — 7- 15/16" diameter Colors: Background: White Text: Black Logo: White; Light Green (PMS 376C); Dark Green (PMS 355C) Location: Existing, southeast (EC) elevation in hanging cabinet between columns; southwest elevation in hanging cabinet between columns Illumination: Existing, internal fluorescent SIGN 3 Type: Existing double -face freestanding tenant panel, refacing Material: Aluminum, plex and vinyl Text: "CenturyLink" Graphic: Sunburst pattern Overall Size: 2' (h) x 7' — 3 -1/8" (w) Text Size: 9" (h) x 5' — 7 -1/2" (w) Logo Size: 1' — 2- 11/16" diameter Colors: Background: White Text: Black Logo: White; Light Green (PMS 376C); Dark Green (PMS 355C) Location: Existing, adjacent to the intersection of Route 29 and Greenbrier Drive Landscaping: Existing to remain ANALYSIS (based on sign photo renderings, date 9/2/09) Issue: Sign Colors/Established Comprehensive Sign Criteria Comments: Entrance Corridor Guidelines state: • Coordination among signs is required for those signs installed in multiple business centers in the Entrance Corridor. Coordination can be achieved in sign type, size, placement, illumination, color, and/or font. • Compatibility among signs must be maintained through color or font and typeface selection. • Coordination of these elements of sign design is sought to help unify a building or complex, to reduce visual clutter and distraction along the Entrance Corridors, and to help maintain the architecture of the building as the focus of the development. Established Comprehensive Sign Criteria (Attachment A) for this building limit sign colors for the canopy /wall cabinet signs and the freestanding tenant panel signs to dark bronze backgrounds with white text. Proposed sign colors for both sign types include white backgrounds with black text. These colors do not meet the established sign criteria for this building and would not contribute to a balance or unity of sign design for the overall building. The proposed sign colors (black text/white background) represent a strong contrast to the approved colors (white text/dark bronze background) and are expected to create a visual distraction from the more reserved colors approved for the building and signage. Visual balance, consistency of design and equal standing in visibility are established guidelines for signage in the ARB 11/2/09, Century Link Sign, - Page 2 Entrance Corridor. Sign color affects our perception of sign scale. Sharply contrasting and competing sign colors lead to a disjointed, out of scale and visually competitive appearance for the overall development. Limiting sign colors to those outlined in the established criteria for this building would lead to a more unified appearance, maintaining the architecture of the building as the focus, while also maintaining the simplicity and reserve that EC Sign Guidelines indicate is appropriate. Recommendations: Revise the sign drawing to show the use of a bronze background with white text for the hanging cabinet and freestanding tenant panel signs. Issue: Proposed Illumination Comments: Established sign criteria require that the cabinet and tenant panel signs be internally illuminated with only the text to illuminate. Illumination of the logo is not permitted. The applicant has verbally indicated the existing illumination, to remain, is internal fluorescent. The applicant has also indicated they intend to meet the established criteria for illumination; however, the sign drawings do not contain the relevant notation. Recommendations: Revise the sign drawings for both the freestanding tenant panel and cabinet signs to include the note Illumination: Existing fluorescent. The sign shall have a non - illuminated background, or an opaque (zero light transmission) background, only the text is to illuminate. Issue: Omissions Comments: The sign drawings included in this submission do not indicate the dimensions of the sign text (width and height), text color and the PMS equivalent numbers for the 2 green logo colors. The applicant has verbally indicated the sign text is to be black for both sign types. Recommendations: Revise the sign drawings for the freestanding tenant panel and cabinet signs to indicate the text dimensions (width and height), text color and PMS equivalent numbers for the 2 green logo colors. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: 1. The proposed sign colors and their impact on existing building and signage colors. RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness pending staff administrative approval of the following conditions: ARB 11/2/09, Century Link Sign, - Page 3 Attachment A ARB COMPREHENSIVE SIGN REVIEW APPROVED CONDITIONS PROJECT #/NAME: Pet Supplies Plus Building 1240 Seminole Trail TAX MAP/PARCEL#: 061WO -01 -OA -00400 SIGN FEATURE APPROVED CONDITION NOTES SIGN TYPE Cabinet LETTER FACE COLOR White TRIM CAP COLOR/RETURN COLOR n/a RACEWAY COLOR n/a CABINET FACE COLORS Cabinet to be dark bronze color on all sides SIZE LIMITATIONS 2' (h) x I F (w) LOCATION(S) • Suspended from I -beam between brick piers • Centered above windows facing Route 29 MOUNTING DETAILS Suspended from I beam with 4" square tube supports finished to match I -beam LOGO /GRAPHICS DETAILS As per ARB guidelines ILLUMINATION Internal illumination with an opaque DETAILS background Only the text to illuminate No illumination of the logo TEXT Unspecified LETTER TYPE/FONT As per ARB guidelines MATERIALS Aluminum ARB 11/2/09, Century Link Sign, Attachment A - Page 4 Attachment A Freestanding Multi Tenant Sign Base: Material: Brick Size: Y -9" (h) x 8' (w) Sign Cabinets: Material: Aluminum Size: 2' (h) x 8' (w) Cabinet Color: Dark Bronze Text color: White Location: On top of brick base, 6" space between cabinets Illumination: Internal illumination with opaque background, only the text to illuminate No illumination of the logo This form outlines the specific design criteria established for signs at this location. All standard ARB Sign Guidelines also apply. ARB 11/2/09, Century Link Sign, Attachment A - Page 5