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HomeMy WebLinkAboutARB201200006 Review Comments Miscellaneous Submittal 2012-01-30ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project #/Name ARB- 2012 -06: Regal Cinema Signs Review Type Certificate of Appropriateness for Signs Parcel Identification Tax Map 61W, Section 3, Parcel 19B Location At the northwest corner of the intersection of Hydraulic Road and Route 29 North. Zoned Neighborhood Model District (NMD), Entrance Corridor (EC) Owner /Applicant Albemarle Place EAAP LLC/Edens & Avant (Chris Haine) Magisterial District Jack Jouett Proposal To install illuminated wall signs with a total sign area of 497 sf, which exceeds the 200 sf ordinance maximum. Context The Regal Cinema is currently under construction on Hydraulic Road in the Stonefield Town Center. Visibility The Regal signs proposed for the east, west, and south elevations will be readily visible from the EC. The parking sign will be visible, but less noticeable. ARB Meeting Date February 6, 2012 Staff Contact Margaret Maliszewski PROJECT HISTORY DATE Review Type RESULT 7/18/2011 ARB- 2011 -62 The ARB approved the architectural design of the Regal Cinema. The wall signs proposed in the Quantity 3 current application are the same size that was illustrated in the previous ARB reviews for the cinema Text REGAL CINEMAS 14 = IMAX building. 10/17/2011 ARB- 2011 -62 The ARB approved the following colors for the Regal building: Sign Size South: 40" tall x 58' long East and west: 30" tall x 46' long • Metal panels: match sample labeled L4 Colors Faces: Pantone 187C Red (Regal Cinemas 14 +) and Pantone 2925C Blue (IMAX) Returns: To match faces Raceway: White • Stucco: match 513 -5 Sharkskin Illumination Halo lit with red and blue LED • Hardipanel at recessed niches: match 530 -5 antique silver Materials Aluminum, acrylic • Stucco at the southeast corner: match 518 -4 flagstone • Recessed Hardiplank: match 518 -1 delicate white 1/6/2012 VA- 2012 -02 County received application for variance for wall sign area for the Regal building. Variance hearing is scheduled for 2/712012. PROPOSED SIGN DETAILS SIGNS B, C AND D SIGN E Sign Type Halo -lit channel letters with raceway Halo -lit channel letters Quantity 3 1 Text REGAL CINEMAS 14 = IMAX CINEMA PARKING Location South (B), west (C) and east (D) elevations; upper left of each elevation Over the ground level parking entrance at north end of east elevation Sign Size South: 40" tall x 58' long East and west: 30" tall x 46' long 24" high x 15' long Colors Faces: Pantone 187C Red (Regal Cinemas 14 +) and Pantone 2925C Blue (IMAX) Returns: To match faces Raceway: White Faces: White Returns: White Illumination Halo lit with red and blue LED Halo lit with white LED Materials Aluminum, acrylic Aluminum, acrylic ANAYLSIS REF GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION Location 9a Wall signs must integrate with the building's The signs proposed for the east and west None. architecture. elevations extend across the full width of the end bays on which they are located. The sign lengths appear coordinated with the architecture. The raceway on the south elevation is located at the top of the recessed bays and acts as an integrated design element. The channel letters extend approximately halfway across the western part of the building on that elevation. 9a The sign placement should not obscure No architectural features are obscured by None. architectural features or details (such as cornices, the proposed wall signs. windows, columns, pilasters and paneling). Size, Scale, Proportion 4a The design of a building's walls, window The cinema has no windows and no None. locations, parapets and other architectural features doors that are visually significant. The shall influence the Board's evaluation of proposed placement of the signs is such appropriate signage. Wall signs can help establish that rhythm across the building is not rhythm, scale and proportion across the fagade of a established by the signs, but the signs do building. help establish scale and proportion. 4d Lettering should be in proportion to... the building The proposed channel letters appear to be None. for visual clarity and overall balance. in proportion with the overall building. It is anticipated that signs of less than half the size of those proposed would look too small and out of place. 9d The size of a wall sign shall be coordinated with The ordinance allows a maximum of 200 None. the size of the architectural element on which it is sf of sign area for the building. 497 sf is placed. The sign should not overcrowd the proposed. Although a proposal of more architectural element, the wall, or the sign area. than double the allowable area generally seems excessive, the proposed sign REF GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION lengths are scaled to the size of the building elements on which they are placed. The signs do not appear over - scaled for the building and they do not appear to overcrowd the walls. 9d Buildings and building elements should not be The architectural design provides ample None. used as a billboard. open wall area. The building bays /wall areas are not filled with signage, so although the signs are large, the proposal does not result in a billboard appearance. 9d For example, an appropriate height for channel The cinema building does not have a None. letters in a 30" high sign band is 18 ". This allows standard sign band, so the guidelines 6" of unoccupied space above and below the recommendation regarding proportions in letters. Generally, 4" of clear space above, below, sign bands isn't applicable. However, and to the sides of a channel letter sign is the goal of maintaining clear wall area considered a minimum, with larger clearances around the sign is achieved. required for larger sign bands. 9d The ARB will consider the degree of visibility, the The signs on the east, west and south will None. distance from the Entrance Corridor, and the be very visible. The signs, particularly on architectural design of the building and the sign the south and east elevations, are very area in its determination of appropriate sizes and close to the EC. However, the building is placement. very big — bigger than most buildings reviewed in the ECs. The larger building can visually accommodate more signage than is typical. Color 4e Colors must be harmonious with each other. Red and blue faces are proposed for the Revise the red and blue Colors must not clash with other elements on the channel letters. Previous submittals faces to white or bronze. site, both when viewed in daylight and at night, showed white faces. The red and blue If the face colors do not whether the signs are externally or internally lit. colors will have a greater visual impact change, revise the than the white. They will appear less drawings to indicate that coordinated with the building. the red is Pantone 187C. 4e Overly intense color, such as but not limited to The red and blue channel letter faces will dayglo or fluorescent colors, are prohibited. have an intense appearance against the REF GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION wall color. The shade of red proposed has been accepted by the ARB for other signs in the ECs. 4e The use of three colors or fewer is more Two colors are proposed. None. appropriate for signs in the Entrance Corridor. Additional colors may be approved if they contribute to a balanced and unified sign design. 9c For raceway- mounted channel letters, the raceway The raceways for the Regal signs differ If the letter face color is shall match the wall color. from the typical raceways proposed for revised, ensure that the channel letter signs in the ECs. The color of the channel is Regal channel is located at the bottom of coordinated with the new the letters instead of behind them (this face color(s). accommodates the halo illumination), and the channel is proposed to be painted white, which does not match the wall color. (See Project History for approved building colors.) The location and color result in a channel that becomes a graphic element of the overall sign. Lighting 5d These solutions are intended to reduce glare, The signs are proposed with halo None. visual clutter and distraction along the streetscape, illumination — LED lights installed in the to provide for coordinated appearances along the letters will shine out the translucent Entrance Corridors, to increase visual continuity, backs of the letters and onto the cinema to achieve a balance of business identification with wall. Halo illumination has typically order and continuity, and to limit negative impacts been considered appropriate for signs in along the County's Entrance Corridors. the ECs and has typically been considered a more elegant style of 5f Any internal illumination is considered to contribute to visual clutter and will be limited. internal illumination than standard channel letters with illuminated, colored 9 i. External illumination is ns. referred for wall si p g faces. However, colored faces have not W. Internal illumination: Channel letters with translucent faces shall be constructed such that no previously been proposed with halo light spills outward from the top, bottom, sides or illumination. back. Faces and returns of channel letters shall be REF GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION opaque when back -lit (halo -lit). LED lighting has become very popular for sign illumination in recent years. There has been no comparative measure for the intensity of the proposed illumination, and the ARB has typically required a standard note to be added to the sign drawings to address this, but it remains difficult to know prior to installation how bright the LED sign lighting will appear along the EC. Summary of Recommendations: Staff recommends that the ARB forward the following recommendation to the BZA: Because the proposed signs are in proportion to the overall building size and the building's elements, the ARB has no objection to the proposal for additional sign area. Staff recommends approval of the proposed signs with the following conditions: 1. Revise the red and blue faces to white or bronze. If the face colors do not change, revise the drawings to indicate that the red is Pantone 187C. 2. If the letter face color is revised, ensure that the color of the channel is coordinated with the new face color(s).