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Home My WebLink AboutARB201400005 Review Comments Miscellaneous Submittal 2014-03-12ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project # /Name ARB- 2014 -05: Rolkin Road Retail Shops Review Type Comprehensive Sign Plan Parcel Identification 078000000075AO Location At the southeast corner of Rolkin Road and Abbey Road Zoned Planned Development Mixed Commercial (PDMC) and Entrance Corridor (EC) Owner/Applicant Pantops Office Building LLC /Cooper Planning (Ashley Cooper) Magisterial District Rivanna Proposal To establish design criteria for wall signs on a 10,000 sf retail building with a drive -thru window. Context The subject parcel is located approximately 260' south of the Rt. 250 Entrance Corridor, behind a gas station/convenience store. Additional gas stations, office buildings, banks, restaurants and a shopping center are located in the vicinity. Visibility The proposed building and its wall signs will be visible from the Entrance Corridor, primarily at the intersection of Rt. 250 with Rolkin Road. More limited, angled views of the building and its signs will also be available between existing buildings that front the corridor. ARB Meeting Date March 17, 2014 Staff Contact Margaret Maliszewski PROJECT HISTORY Date Application Result 12/16/2013 ARB- 2013 -164 The ARB forwarded comments on the Rolkin Road Retail Shops initial site plan to the agent for the Site Review Committee and provided preliminary comments on the site and architectural design. 1/30/2014 ARB- 2014 -05 Staff provided comments to the applicant on the final site plan for the Rolkin Road Retail Shops, submitted as a county -wide Certificate of Appropriateness. The applicant is proceeding with the required revisions. The Comprehensive Sign Plan for the building must be approved before final approval can be granted for the county- wide Certificate. A freestanding sign proposal is also under review by staff. 2/5/2014 ARB - 2014 -05 Staff and the applicant discussed possible designs for the Starbucks wall signs. and later COMPREHENSIVE SIGN CRITERIA This table contains the design criteria proposed by the applicant for wall signs for the Rolkin Road Retail Shops building. SIGN FEATURE PROPOSED CRITERIA Sign type Channel letter Letter face color White translucent acrylic Trim cap color /return color Matthews 313 Dark Bronze Raceway color To match the color of the wall to which it is attached Locations See accompanying building elevations for the location of sign bands and placements. Channel letters shall be centered vertically within leased building storefront and centered horizontally with a above the storefront windows on the east tower single, pair, or group of first story windows or doors in the designated sign band. Sign Band A: 14.5' — 18.5' above grade elevation, and above the storefront window on the Sign Band B: 15.5' — 20' above grade Sign Band C: 17' — 24' above grade Size Limitations Maximum letter height: 28" Channel letter returns: 5 "d max. brick wall areas on the side elevations. Indicating possible sign bands in these brick areas would allow Logo: maximum height not to exceed the tallest letter in the sign Graphics details No limit to overall graphic colors as long as individual tenant graphics total number is limited to three and all colors have a coordinated appearance. Illumination details Signs may be internally illuminated. If LED: The level of illumination provided will not exceed the illumination produced by a single stroke of 30 milliamp (ma) neon. (To be noted on every application.) For internally illuminated, cabinet style graphics on raceway: Opaque background required. (To be noted on every application.) Letter type/font Unlimited ANAYLSIS This table provides an analysis of how the proposed sign criteria meet the EC Sign Guidelines. REF GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION 4a Placement: The design of a building's walls, Sign areas are proposed in standard locations above Revise the drawings to window locations, parapets and other architectural most of the storefront doors on the front elevation, reflect the general features shall influence the Board's evaluation of above the storefront windows on the east tower guideline that the sign appropriate signage. Wall signs can help establish elevation, and above the storefront window on the area shall allow for rhythm, scale and proportion across the fagade of a west elevation. No sign band is proposed above the sufficient unoccupied building. brick wall areas on the side elevations. Indicating possible sign bands in these brick areas would allow space around the sign letters. 4d Lettering and Typeface: Lettering should be in proportion to the sign and the building for visual greater flexibility in future sign approvals without clarity and overall balance. Proportion of lettering having to revise the comprehensive sign plan. Revise the drawings to includes font (size) and typeface (style). The use of show sign bands on the three typefaces or fewer is more appropriate for The limits of the sign bands are designated on the brick side walls. signs in the Entrance Corridor. Additional drawings, but in many cases the limits coincide with typefaces may be approved only if they contribute the edges of architectural features (such as the corner Eliminate the sign band to a balanced, legible, unified sign design. of the tower or the point where one surface is recessed from another). For an appropriate, un- "above grade" dimensions from the sign 9a Wall signs shall be integrated with the architecture of the building and the placement of such signs crowded appearance, "unoccupied space" is required criteria. should not obscure architectural features or details, on all sides of the sign, between the sign and the edge including but not limited to cornices, windows, of the architectural element. Eliminate the maximum columns, pilasters and paneling. The proposed criteria indicate the heights above 28" letter height from the criteria, and apply the 9d The size of a wall sign shall be coordinated with the size of the architectural element on which it is ground for the various sign bands. This detailed standard guidelines for placed. The sign should not overcrowd the information is already represented graphically in the size and proportion architectural element, the wall, or the sign area. elevation drawings and it could lead to during individual sign (See Illustration 6 on page 26.) Buildings and inconsistencies once the building is constructed. reviews. building elements should not be used as a Consequently, it doesn't need to be listed in the billboard. For example, an appropriate height for criteria or noted specifically on the drawings. channel letters in a 30" high sign band is 18 ". This allows 6" of unoccupied space above and below the The proposed criteria limit letter height to 28 ". letters. Generally, 4" of clear space above, below, Letters of this height would look appropriately scaled and to the sides of a channel letter sign is in the sign bands; however, a slightly taller letter considered a minimum, with larger clearances might also look appropriate in some cases. required for larger sign bands. The ARB will Guidelines 9a, 9d and A.A address sign size and consider the degree of visibility, the distance from proportion and would be applied to the review of the Entrance Corridor, and the architectural design individual signs for this building, so the specific of the building and the sign area in its height limit could be too restrictive. Note that determination of appropriate sizes and placement. elimination of this criterion from the comp sign plan is not meant to encourage over - scaled wall signs. It is 10d Signs must be placed on the building in a manner that establishes a unified appearance. meant to increase flexibility and to reduce the need to revise the comp sign plan in the future. Appendix A ratio of 1/3 text to 2/3 wall area or 1/4 text to 3/4 A.A wall area is a good working proportioning system for placing a sign. 9b Channel lettering (mounted on a raceway or Internally illuminated face -lit channel letters are Revise the criteria to individual letters) is preferred to cabinet signs proposed as the primary sign type for this building. allow a graphic image because cabinet signs tend to appear less integrated Graphics are also proposed. Graphics often take the without channel letters with the building. Channel letters overlay the wall form of cabinet style signs, but they may appear in within the sign bands of material and allow the structure of the building to other styles, as well. When sized and located the tower. "read through" with less interruption. This results appropriately, the additional sign type generally does in a more coordinated overall appearance. not detract from the overall appearance of the building. lob b. Multiple business centers shall use a single sign type for all wall signs. In some cases, the ARB has approved the use of graphics alone — not accompanied by channel letters (Pet Smart, Gander Mountain). The tower at the northeast corner of the building appears to be an appropriate place for an independent graphic image, should a tenant desire it. 4e For raceway- mounted channel letters, the raceway shall match the wall color. Proposed information regarding raceways is conflicting. One detail references "no raceway ". The Revise the drawings to consistently indicate that 9c channel letter section drawing indicates that the if a raceway is used, its raceway will be painted to match the canopy. The color will match the color dimensioned elevation detail (mislabeled as "channel of the surface to which it letter section" and detail, on sheet 2) indicates that is attached. the raceway will be painted to match the building fascia color. Correct the details numbers and names on Sheet 2 of 3. 4e Color: Colors must be harmonious with each other. As proposed, the range of colors available for None. Colors must not clash with other elements on the graphics throughout the building would not be site, both when viewed in daylight and at night, limited, but the number of colors for an individual whether the signs are externally or internally lit. tenant's graphics would be limited to 3 compatible Overly intense color, such as but not limited to colors. Colors for the channel letters would be dayglo or fluorescent colors, are prohibited. limited to white faces with bronze trim caps and returns throughout the building. White is expected to The use of three colors or fewer is more have an appropriate appearance, and the consistent appropriate for signs in the Entrance Corridor. letter color will provide a level of overall continuity, Black and white are counted as colors. Additional while allowing flexibility for tenants' logos. The colors may be approved if they contribute to a position of the subject building behind buildings that balanced and unified sign design. front the EC helps limit the impact of the multiple colors on the EC. l Oc c. Compatibility among signs must be maintained through color or font and typeface selection. 9e, l0e Lighting i. External illumination is preferred for wall signs. The proposed internal illumination for the channel letters is acceptable in this location because it is None. 5c External illumination is also preferred for approved graphics /logos; internal illumination may be consistent with the character of other approved considered for approval on a case -by -case basis. signage in the immediate area, and because the The Board will evaluate the specific design for size building is set back from the EC, behind other (adjusted in proportion to the accompanying buildings. lettering), balance, complexity, and distance from and relationship to the Entrance Corridor. These factors will determine the extent of internal illumination that can be approved. 5f Internal Illumination: Any internal illumination is considered to contribute to visual clutter and will be limited. i. External illumination is preferred for signs in multiple business centers. iii. Channel letters with translucent faces shall be constructed such that no light spills outward from the top, bottom, sides or back. Faces and returns of channel letters shall be opaque when back -lit (halo - lit). Trademarks, corporate logos and graphics 4f The ARB may require that the color and scale of As written, the proposed criteria limit the Revise the criteria that standard templates for trademarks, service marks, requirement for opaque backgrounds of graphics to references "cabinet style corporate logos and graphics be modified. When cabinet style graphics on a raceway. The presence of graphics on raceways" to used, trademarks, service marks, corporate logos a raceway is not a factor for determining the simply require opaque and/or graphics should be incorporated as an appropriateness of background illumination. backgrounds for all integral part of the overall sign. The proposal limits graphic size to the height of the graphics. 5f iv. Cabinet signs shall have a non - illuminated background, or an opaque (zero light transmission) tallest letter. As originally proposed, this would limit Revise the criteria to background. Cabinet signs shall be constructed graphic height to 28 ". As noted earlier in this report, further clarify the such that no light spills outward from the top, staff recommends eliminating the 28" maximum in relationship between the bottom, sides or back. If outlines of letters are favor of applying the standard guidelines regarding size of a graphic and the proposed, the width of the outline must be in size and proportion as individual signs are submitted overall size of a sign by proportion to the width of the letter. An outline for review. It should be noted that graphics will still adding the language that width of 1/8" has been found to be an appropriate be required to appear as an integral part of the overall requires the graphic to be dimension for signs in the Entrance Corridors. sign, so increasing the height of one or more letters an integral part of the won't provide for larger graphics in all cases. sign. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Should the ARB choose to discuss this application, staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: 1. The use of two proposed sign types: channel letters and graphics 2. The use of graphics in the tower without channel letters 3. Specifying maximum letter height 4. Multiple colors for graphics Staff recommends approval of the comprehensive sign plan for the Rolkin Road Retail Shops building as outlined in the table below, with the following conditions. (Note that in the table proposed additions to the applicant's criteria are highlighted yellow and deletions are °tree k thr-e ig .) 1. Revise the drawings to reflect the general guideline that the sign area shall allow for sufficient unoccupied space around the sign letters. 2. Revise the drawings to show sign bands on the brick side walls. 3. Eliminate the sign band "above grade" dimensions from the sign criteria. 4. Revise the drawings to consistently indicate that if a raceway is used, its color will match the color of the surface to which it is attached. 5. Correct the details numbers and names on Sheet 2 of 3. SIGN FEATURE SIGN CRITERIA Sign type Channel letter Colors Letters Face: White translucent acrylic; Trim cap /return: Matthews 313 Dark Bronze Raceway To match the color of the wall to which it is attached Graphics No limit to overall graphic colors as long as individual tenant graphics total number is limited to three and all colors have a coordinated appearance. Locations See accompanying building elevations for the location of sign bands and placements. Gha+ el Lett Signs shall be centered vertically within in !ease building °*^r -effe t in the designated sign band and centered horizontally with a single, pair, or group of first story windows or doors in the designated sign band. Sign Band A� 14.5' 19.5' Sign Band & 15.5' 20' Sign Band Q 17' 24' above grade; above grade; above gfade Graphics may be used independent of channel letters within the sign band on the tower. Size Letters " Channel Letter- etu��i.Standard guidelines regarding size and proportion apply. czxtmricr Graphics Maximum height not to exceed the tallest letter in the sign. When used, graphics shall be sized and located to appear as an integral part of the overall sign. Illumination Letters Signs may be internally illuminated. If LED: The level of illumination provided will not exceed the illumination produced by a single stroke of 30 milliamp (ma) neon. (Note on every application.) Graphics For- irate ,. ly illu ina4e , eabi et style R~ ...hies e : Opaque background required. (Note on every application.) Letter type/font Unlimited