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HomeMy WebLinkAboutARB201600062 Staff Report 2016-06-07ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project #/Name 5"` Street Station Comprehensive Sign Review: ARB -2016-52: Field & Stream Sign; ARB -2016-62: Dick's Sporting Goods Sign; ARB -2016-63: Wegman's Sign Review Type Comprehensive Sign Review and Certificate of Appropriateness for Signs Parcel Identification 076M1000000200 Location 130 Wegman's Way, in the Fifth Street Station shopping center, adjacent to I64, between 5" Street and Avon Street Zoned Planned Development Shopping Center (PDSC)/Entrance Corridor (EC) Owner/Applicant 5' Street Station Ventures LLC/Bruce Lucas Magisterial District Scottsville Proposal To establish a comprehensive sign plan for the shopping center and to install internally illuminated channel letter wall signs. Context The shopping center is bounded by residential development to the northeast, commercial development to the northwest and west, the interstate directly to the south, and a mix of residential, commercial, and institutional uses to the south. Visibility Signs on the I-64 side of the shopping center buildings will be visible from the Entrance Corridor, viewed through wooded area of varying depth. ARB Meeting Date June 6, 2016 Staff Contact Margaret Maliszewski PROJECT HISTORY The Wegman's building received Certificates of Appropriateness on 8/28/2014 and 9/21/2015. The Dick's/Field & Stream building received a Certificate of Appropriateness on 9/1/2015. That approval was followed by a number of minor amendments to the architectural design. On 4/1/2016, when asked by staff for direction on the Comprehensive Sign Plan submittal, the ARB indicated that both buildings should be included in a single Comp Sign Plan. COMPREHENSIVE SIGN CRITERIA This table contains proposed criteria for signs to be located on the 5' Street Station buildings visible from the I64 EC. SIGN FEATURE PROPOSED CRITERIA — Wegman's Building PROPOSED CRITERIA — Dick's/Field & Stream/Havert s/Planet Fitness Building SIGN TYPE Channel Letters Channel Letters LETTER FACE COLOR White (day)/Red (night) White, Black', Gray' and Orange TRIM CAP/RETURN COLOR Dark Bronze Black RACEWAY COLOR N/A To match the color of the wall to which it is attached. PANEL COLOR N/A N/A SIZE LIMITATIONS Must fit within sign area outlined on approved drawings. Must fit within sign area outlined on approved drawings. LOCATIONS On the south elevations, in the sign band area, within the sign area outlined on the approved drawings. On the south elevations, in the sign band area, within the sign area outlined on the approved drawings. MOUNTING DETAILS Channel letters mounted on wall. Channel letters mounted on raceway. LOGO GRAPHICS DETAILS Logos and graphics must be fully integrated with the channel letter sign, and must meet all EC guidelines. Logos and graphics must be fully integrated with the channel letter sign, and must meet all EC guidelines. ILLUMINATION DETAILS Internal Internal TEXT Bottom justified Bottom justified LETTER TYPE FONT No limit No limit 1. The Field & Stream eagle graphic is shown in black, but on 5/25/2016 it was confirmed that the eagle is not proposed for the I64 side of the building. 2. On 5/20/2016 the applicant indicated that the Haverty's proposed letter face color was changed from gray to white. PROPOSED WALL SIGNS: Information in this table is taken from the sign applications under review for Wegman's, Dick's, and Field & Stream and from the Comprehensive Sign Plan proposal for the Haverty's and Planet Fitness signs. There are minor discrepancies in the sizes provided in the sign applications compared to the Comprehensive Sign Plan. Sign permit applications are still required for Haverty's and Planet Fitness. 3. Letters have white faces that will appear red at night due to the red LED lamps. 4. Sample provided. Wegman's Dick's Field & Stream Haverty's Planet Fitness Type Face lit channel letters Face lit channel letters on a metal panel Face lit channel letters Face lit channel letters Face lit channel letters Rear elevation (facing I- 64), centered left to right Rear elevation (facing I- Rear elevation (facing I-64), Centered over the EIFS In the end bay of the Location on red metal, approx. 28' 64), centered in green centered in wood beam under bay on the rear elevation building, centered above above ground level rectangular sign area gable (facing 1-64) the doors Materials Aluminum, Lexan Aluminum, acrylic Aluminum, acrylic, Lexan, Acrylic Acrylic vinyl Colors Letter face White (day)/red (night)' White Tangerine (Panton 151C, WhiteZ White 3630-84 Trim cap/ Bronze "Dick's green" Black Black Black return n/a "Dick's green"4 n/a n/a n/a Background To match the color of the To match the color of the Raceway n/a n/a n/a wall to which the raceway wall to which the raceway is attached is attached Overlapping balls in tangerine (3630- Graphics None 84/Pantone 151C), black, None None None white, red tangerine (3630-33), silver grey (3630-51) Mounting Direct to wall Direct to wall Direct to wall Raceway or direct to wall Raceway or direct to wall Overall Size 10' 9 'h" (t) x 31' 2" (1) 7' 6" (t) x 17' 8" (1) 3' 4" (t) x 37' 23/4" (1) 5' (t) x 36' 4" (1) 5' 8" (t) x 10' (1) Letter Size Majority of letters 3'1" Dick's: 5' tall; Sporting Majority of letters 2' 6" tall 5' tall ? tall Goods: 1'1/4" tall Illumination Internal LED - red Internal LED - white I Internal LED - white I Internal Internal 3. Letters have white faces that will appear red at night due to the red LED lamps. 4. Sample provided. U►EVA sky KI REF GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION Sign Type 10a Wall Signs For Multiple Business Centers: A complete sign A comprehensive sign plan proposal has been None. package shall be provided as part of the submittal materials for submitted for review. The proposed signs are the review of any new multiple business center. The proposal all internally illuminated channel letter signs, should address how compatibility among signs will be achieved, although the Dick's sign has a metal backer and how new signs will be coordinated with the architecture of panel. The consistency of sign type is the the building(s); the first approved sign installed in a multiple primary means proposed for achieving business center will establish the standard for all future signs for compatibility across these buildings. that center. The future review of proposals for new signs in existing multiple business centers will take into consideration the character and appearance of the existing building(s) and with existing sign(s). 10b b. Multiple business centers shall use a single sign type for all wall signs. 9b Channel lettering (mounted on a raceway or individual letters) is preferred to cabinet signs because cabinet signs tend to appear less integrated with the building. Channel letters overlay the wall material and allow the structure of the building to "read through" with less interruption. This results in a more coordinated overall appearance. Placement 4a The design of a building's walls, window locations, parapets and The approved architectural design for the None. other architectural features shall influence the Board's Dick's/Field & Stream/ Haverty's/Planet evaluation of appropriate signage. Wall signs can help establish Fitness building does not provide a consistent rhythm, scale and proportion across the facade of a building. sign band across the length of the building. It establishes an enhanced bay for each tenant, 9a Wall signs shall be integrated with the architecture of the building and the placement of such signs should not obscure those bays incorporate obvious locations for architectural features or details, including but not limited to signage, and signs are proposed in those cornices, windows, columns, pilasters and paneling. locations. Architectural detailing is not obscured by the proposed signs. The proposed 10d Multiple Business Centers: Signs must be placed on the building in a manner that establishes a unified appearance. sign placement is unified to the degree allowed by the approved architectural design. Scale and Size 4b Signs located within the Entrance Corridor may not exceed the size, height and setback requirements as outlined in Section 4.15 of the Albemarle County Zoning Ordinance (unless the sign has received a variance). Sign permit applications have been submitted for Wegman's, Dick's and Field & Stream. The Dick's and Field & Stream signs have Zoning approval. The Wegman's sign is still under Zoning review. None at this time. 9d The size of a wall sign shall be coordinated with the size of the These buildings do not have traditional style Sign permits are still architectural element on which it is placed. The sign should not sign bands, so some of the size and spacing required for Haverty's overcrowd the architectural element, the wall, or the sign area. guidelines don't apply. The buildings range and Planet Fitness. (See Illustration 6 on page 26.) Buildings and building elements from approximately 250' to 425' from the EC. should not be used as a billboard. The Wegman's sign is located on a very large Reduce the size of the Haverty's sign to not For example, an appropriate height for channel letters in a 30" high sign band is 18". This allows 6" of unoccupied space above wall surface; the sign does not appear out of exceed 32' long. and below the letters. Generally, 4" of clear space above, below, proportion with that wall area, but at 31' long and to the sides of a channel letter sign is considered a with letter heights ranging from 31" to 7'6", minimum, with larger clearances required for larger sign bands. the sign will look very big. The ARB will consider the degree of visibility, the distance from the Entrance Corridor, and the architectural design of the At 5' tall x 17'8" long, the Dick's sign is also building and the sign area in its determination of appropriate very large. The sign is mounted on a large sizes and placement. metal panel that measures approximately 14' x 20'. There is clear space around the letters, but the blocky letter style emphasizes the size of the sign. For comparison, standard billboard sizes range from 10' x 30' and 12' x 24' to 14' x 48'. Smaller letters would have less visual impact, but might look under - scaled on the metal panel. The tallest of the Field & Stream letters are 3'4" high. This leaves 4" above and below the letters on the 4' tall wood beam. The Haverty's letters are 5' tall and 36'4" long, extending just beyond the framed bay below the letters. Although there is at least 2' of clear space around the letters, the sign looks overscaled in the wall space. The sign size shown on the 2/4/2016 approved architectural drawings looks more appropriate at 32' long. The Planet Fitness sign has 2 rows of letters (overall 5' 8" tall) that extend nearly to the top and bottom of the sign area. The Fitness sign is placed lower than the others, is set back further from the EC than the others, and is expected to be somewhat less visible from the EC than the others. 4c Materials: Materials used in both the sign and support Standard sign materials (aluminum, acrylic, None. structures should complement the building and/or multiple vinyl) are proposed for these signs. business center (see page 14) being served by the sign. Lettering and Typeface, Color 4d Lettering should be in proportion to the sign and the building for Each sign is proposed with a different None. visual clarity and overall balance. Proportion of lettering typeface for a total of 5 typefaces across the includes font (size) and typeface (style). The use of three buildings. The distances between these signs typefaces or fewer is more appropriate for signs in the Entrance tends to limit the benefit gained from a Corridor. Additional typefaces may be approved only if they limited number of typefaces. contribute to a balanced, legible, unified sign design. 4e, 9c Colors must be harmonious with each other. Colors must not The tangerine color (Panton 151, 3M 3630- Revise the shade of clash with other elements on the site, both when viewed in 84) proposed for the Field & Stream letters orange for the Field & daylight and at night, whether the signs are externally or and the Dick's basketball is a bright orange. It Stream sign and Dick's internally lit. Overly intense color, such as but not limited to does not fall within the Pantone range basketball to one that dayglo or fluorescent colors, are prohibited. previously identified by the ARB as being falls within the range of appropriate for signs in the Entrance the three darker colors on Corridors. The red proposed for the Dick's the Panton color cards, baseball is the shade of red that was not for example Pantone 152 approved in the ECs for a long period of time. or 166. In this case, the amount of red used is minimal, so it is not expected to have a Clarify and provide for significant impact on the EC. The amount of review the shade of red silver gray proposed in the Dick's sign is also proposed for the minimal and is not expected to have a Wegman's sign. negative impact on the EC. Alternatively, revise the design to illuminate white The Dick's sign has a green metal at night. background. The building design was approved by the ARB with green metal in this Consider limiting location. The Field & Stream roof elements nighttime illuminated are also green metal. colors to one. 4e The use of three colors or fewer is more appropriate for signs in Excluding the black and gray colors identified the Entrance Corridor. Black and white are counted as colors. by the applicant as no longer proposed for Additional colors may be approved if they contribute to a signs in this location, a total of 5 colors is balanced and unified sign design. proposed for the signs across the two buildings. Daytime letter face colors are limited to 2 and include: white and tangerine. Nighttime letter face colors include: red, white, and tangerine. (The Wegman's sign face illuminates red at night.) Graphics in the Dick's sign include small amounts of tangerine, black, red, white and silver (both day and night), which would illuminate. The Wegman's sign is proposed with red LED light that would shine through the white Lexan face, resulting in red illumination at night. There is no information to clarify the shade of red. At night, the sign letters would illuminate red, white and orange, with minimal additional colors in Dick's graphic. Limiting nighttime illuminated color to one might help limit visual competitiveness and general visual impacts. However, illuminated white letters will appear very bright in this location. loc Multiple Business Centers: Compatibility among signs must be If the graphics in the Dick's sign are Consider limiting maintained through color or font and typeface selection. disregarded (due to their relatively small size), nighttime illuminated compatibility is maintained during the day colors to one. with a limit to two letter face colors. At night, three colors will illuminate. Given the number and distribution of signs, the three colors won't establish a significant degree of compatibility. 4e For raceway -mounted channel letters, raceways shall match the The Comp Sign Plan for the Dick's building None. wall color. states that channel letters will be mounted on raceways and the raceway color will match the wall color. However, the Dick's and Field & Stream sign permit drawings show the signs mounted directly to the wall. 4f Trademarks, corporate logos and graphics: The ARB may The Wegman's and Dick's sign designs None. require that the color and scale of standard templates for appear to follow the company standards. The trademarks, service marks, corporate logos and graphics be Field & Stream design follows the company modified. When used, trademarks, service marks, corporate standard, except the eagle graphic has been logos and/or graphics should be incorporated as an integral part eliminated on the EC side. of the overall sign. Li htin 5b Since external illumination does not fit every case, individual LED internally illuminated channel letters are Add the standard LED channel letters — a type of internally illuminated sign that has proposed. The standard LED lighting note is note to the sign drawings: less visual clutter impact on the Entrance Corridors — may also needed on the sign drawings. The level of illumination be approved. Channel letters are generally the preferred type of provided by the LED internally illuminated wall sign because they project the total The Dick's sign has an opaque metal lights will not exceed the sign and are identifiable with the daytime image of the sign. background. illumination produced by When channel letters cannot be adequately accommodated, a single stroke of 30 internally illuminated cabinet signs may be considered. If milliamp (ma) neon. cabinet signs are utilized, the backgrounds of such signs must be made opaque zero light transmission). 5c External illumination is also preferred for approved The eagle shown on some of the sign None. graphics/logos; internal illumination may be considered for drawings above the Field & Stream letters is approval on a case-by-case basis. The Board will evaluate the not proposed for the EC side of the building. specific design for size (adjusted in proportion to the The Dick's logo is proposed to be internally accompanying lettering), balance, complexity, and distance from illuminated. It measures approximately 2'2" and relationship to the Entrance Corridor. These factors will wide x 4'3" tall. The illumination from a determine the extent of internal illumination that can be graphic of this size is not expected to have a approved. significant impact on the EC. 1 Create a consistent and unified design approach along the Currently, there are few internally illuminated Consider limiting Entrance Corridors. The placement, size, illumination and wall signs facing the I64 Entrance Corridor. nighttime illuminated colors of signs can create unity along the corridor, or they can Approval of the internally illuminated signs colors to one. create a disjointed, visually competitive environment. Consistent proposed here will begin to change the and unified sign design allows the businesses located along the character of the corridor. A reduction in the Consider reducing the Corridor to have equal standing in visibility. It also provides a size of the signs and limitation to a single size of the Dick's and pattern of sign placement that makes the business locations and nighttime color could help reduce impacts. Wegman's signs to entrances more easily recognizable to both vehicular and reduce impacts from pedestrian traffic. internal illumination at 2 Establish simplicity and reserve as preferred characteristics night. for sign design in these areas. This reflects the historic character of the area and enhances the aesthetic qualities of the Corridor. To this end, the overall design of a sign will be evaluated concurrently with that of the building on which it will be installed. The design of a building's walls, window locations, parapets and other architectural features will influence the Board's evaluation of appropriate signage. Likewise, a freestanding sign is evaluated in the context of the overall development in which it will be placed. Because each site is composed of a variety of elements that work together to create a unique character and appearance, ARB review of each sign proposal is guided by these sign guidelines within the context of the specific site for which the proposal is made. 5d These solutions are intended to reduce glare, visual clutter and distraction along the streetscape, to provide for coordinated appearances along the Entrance Corridors, to increase visual continuity, to achieve a balance of business identification with order and continuity, and to limit negative impacts along the County's Entrance Corridors. 5f Internal Illumination: Any internal illumination is considered to contribute to visual clutter and will be limited. W. Internal illumination: Channel letters with translucent faces No spill outward from the letter returns or None. shall be constructed such that no light spills outward from the backs is anticipated. top, bottom, sides or back. Faces and returns of channel letters shall be opaque when back -lit (halo -lit). Summary of Recommendations: Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: 1. The proposed colors, at daytime and nighttime, in particular the illuminated red color for the Wegman's sign 2. The shade of orange for the Field & Stream sign 3. The Dick's graphic, and its colors and illumination 4. The large sizes of the signs 5. The level of coordination of the signs across the buildings 6. The introduction of internally illuminated wall signs to the I64 EC Staff recommends approval of the following Comprehensive Sign Criteria for both buildings, with the exact shades of orange and red to be reviewed and approved by staff: SIGN FEATURE CRITERIA for the Wegman's and Dick's/Field & Stream/Haverty's/Planet Fitness Buildings SIGN TYPE Channel Letters LETTER FACE COLOR Day: white, orange; Night: white, orange, red TRIM CAP/RETURN COLOR Dark bronze or black RACEWAY COLOR If used, to match the color of the wall to which it is attached. PANEL COLOR "Dick's Green" (only approved for Dick's) SIZE LIMITATIONS Must fit within sign area outlined on approved drawings. LOCATIONS On the south elevations, within the sign area outlined on the approved drawings. MOUNTING DETAILS Channel letters mounted on wall or raceway. LOGO GRAPHICS DETAILS Logos and graphics must be fully integrated with the channel letter sign, and must meet all EC guidelines. Multiple colors may be approved in small quantities. ILLUMINATION DETAILS Internal LETTER TYPE FONT No limit Staff recommends the following changes to the individual sign proposals: 1. Note that sign permits are still required for Haverty's and Planet Fitness. 2. Reduce the size of the Haverty's sign to not exceed 32' long. 3. Revise the shade of orange for the Field & Stream sign and the Dick's basketball to one that falls within the range of the three darker colors on the Pantone color cards, for example Pantone 152 or 166. 4. Clarify and provide for review the shade of red prosed for the Wegman's sign. Alternatively, revise the design to illuminate white at night. 5. Consider limiting nighttime illuminated colors to one. 6. Add the standard LED note to the sign drawings: The level of illumination provided by the LED lights will not exceed the illumination produced by a single stroke of 30 milliamp (ma) neon. 7. Consider reducing the size of the Dick's and Wegman's signs to reduce impacts from the internal illumination at night. 10