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HomeMy WebLinkAboutARB201600032 Staff Report 2017-06-28ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project #/Name ARB 2016-31 & 32: West Park Plaza — Rio West 301-343 Comprehensive Sign Plan, Frontline Sign & Tucker Griffin Barnes Sign Review Type Review of a Comprehensive Sign Plan and Certificate of Appropriateness for two Signs Parcel Identification TMP 061 X 1-00-00-00200 Location Located on the east side of Rio Road (Route 631) approximately 730 feet northeast of Earlysville Road (Route 743) and approximately 350 feet southwest of Four Seasons Drive. Zoned PUD (Planned Unit Development)/EC (Entrance Corridor) Owner/Applicant Rio West Limited Partnership/Hightech Signs (Adria Sprouse) Magisterial District Rio Proposal To establish a comprehensive sign plan for wall signs on an existing building and to gain approval for two ro osed wall signs for building tenants. Context This section of Rio Road is densely developed with a mix of commercial and residential uses. There are other commercial uses within the same lot, adjacent to the lot and across Rio Road. A mix of varying density residential uses in the Four Seasons and Townwood Mobile Home Park developments wraps around the east and southwest sides of the site. Visibility The Frontline sign location is proposed approximately 118' from the EC; the Tucker Griffin Barnes sign, approximately 230'. The building is angled about 45 degrees to the EC. The angle of the building will make the signs more visible from the southbound lanes of Rio Road than from the northbound lanes. ARB Meeting Date May 16, 2016 Staff Contact Paty Saternye PROJECT HISTORY This building predates the establishment of Rio Road as an Entrance Corridor. One sign is currently installed on the building. The Architectural Review Board has not reviewed any previous proposals for this building. An administrative approval was previously granted for a different building on the same parcel (see below). DATE REVIEW TYPE RESULT 12/12/2011 ARB 2011-127 Schnabel Engineering Sign Administrative approval of a wall sign to be installed on the building located just to the southeast on the same parcel. COMPREHENSIVE SIGN CRITERIA The table below contains proposed sign criteria for all signs to be located on the Rio West 301-343 building that are visible from the Rio Road Entrance Corridor. SIGN FEATURE PROPOSED CRITERIA SIGN TYPE Formed Plastic Lettering , letters mounted individually on the wall LETTER FACE COLOR White TRIM CAP/RETURN COLOR N/A RACEWAY COLOR N/A CABINET FACE COLORS N/A SIZE LIMITATIONS Standard guidelines apply. LOCATIONS In sign panels illustrated on the building elevations. MOUNTING DETAILS Flush Mount LOGO GRAPHICS DETAILS Standard guidelines apply. ILLUMINATION DETAILS No Illumination TEXT Not specified. LETTER TYPE FONT Not specified. MATERIALS No limits other than standard guidelines. PROPOSED WALL SIGNS Frontline Tucker Griffin Barnes Type Individual Letters Individual Letters Quantity 1 1 Materials Plastic Plastic Colors White White Background None — Wall is background None — Wall is background Letter White White Graphics Star in Pantone Yellow 143C None Mounting Flush Mount Flush Mount Overall Sign Size 7'-11.01" x F -9.12" (L X H) 9' -3.28" x F -6.53" (L X H) Location Centered in the right side of building and within the third bay from the right (west). Centered in the left side of the building and within the third bay from the left (east). Illumination None None ANAYLSIS: This table provides an analysis of how the proposed comprehensive sign criteria meet the EC Guidelines for a Multiple Business Center. REF I GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION II General Sign Guidelines 1 Create a consistent and unified design approach along the See 4a, 4b and 4e below. See recommendations 4a, 4c and 4e Entrance Corridors. The placement, size, illumination and below. colors of signs can create unity along the corridor, or they can create a disjointed, visually competitive environment. Consistent and unified sign design allows the businesses located along the Corridor to have equal standing in visibility. It also provides a pattern of sign placement that makes the business locations and entrances more easily recognizable to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. 2 Establish simplicity and reserve as preferred characteristics See 4a, 4c and 4e below. See recommendations 4a, 4c and 4e for sign design in these areas. This reflects the historic character below. 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. 3 Encourage creative design. The County encourages The proposed CSP criteria allow None. imaginative and innovative signs consistent with the purposes creativity through the use of expressed above and in conformance with the regulations of the graphics and choices of font Albemarle County Code. (size) and typeface (style), within the parameters of the guidelines. 4 Design Compatibility 4a Placement: The design of a building's walls, window locations, The CSP wall sign areas do not None. parapets and other architectural features shall influence the interfere with the piers or Board's evaluation of appropriate signage. Wall signs can help windows of the building and are establish rhythm, scale and proportion across the fagade of a regularly spaced based upon the building. window openings. The CSP shows the placement of None. future signs. The locations specified will establish a unified and symmetric appearance. The sign areas are placed at regular intervals and are the same size with the exception of the existing sign area over the main entry at the center of the building. The Frontline and Tucker Griffin None. Barnes signs follow the proposed CSP placement. 4b Scale and Size: Signs located within the Entrance Corridor may The CSP defaults to the standard None. not exceed the size, height and setback requirements as outlined Architectural Review Board in Section 4.15 of the Albemarle County Zoning Ordinance Guidelines for its size criteria. (unless the sign has received a variance). The proposed signs meet the None. CSP criteria and the requirements of 4.15. 4c Materials: Materials used in both the sign and support The proposed CSP specifies None. structures should complement the building and/or multiple individual plastic letters as the business center (see page 14) being served by the sign. sign type for this building. This is consistent with the sign already installed on the building (See Figure 1). The proposed CSP table includes Modify the CSP criteria to clarify both "sign type" and "material" the sign material. information under the "Sign Consider allowing additional Type" criteria. The "Material" materials that would have a similar criteria specifies "No limits other appearance to the formed plastic than standard guidelines". These letters. criteria provide inconsistent information, but letters made of materials other than plastic could have a consistent appearance from the EC, so some flexibility may be warranted. The Frontline and Tucker Griffin None. Barnes signs are proposed as formed plastic letters. 4d Lettering and Typeface: Lettering should be in proportion to The proposed CSP defaults to the None. the sign and the building for visual clarity and overall balance. EC sign guidelines for the Proportion of lettering includes font (size) and typeface (style). proportion of the lettering and The use of three typefaces or fewer is more appropriate for signs typeface. in the Entrance Corridor. Additional typefaces may be approved only if they contribute to a balanced, legible, unified sin The size of the lettering in the None. design. Frontline sign and the Tucker Griffin Barnes sign is proportional to the signs and the building. Neither proposed sign will have more than 3 typefaces. None. 4e Color: Colors must be harmonious with each other. Colors must As specified in the proposed None. not clash with other elements on the site, both when viewed in CSP, the letter face color will be daylight and at night, whether the signs are externally or white on all signs. The CSP internally lit. Overly intense color, such as but not limited to defaults to the EC sign dayglo or fluorescent colors, are prohibited. guidelines for logo graphics details. The use of three colors or fewer is more appropriate for signs in the Entrance Corridor. Black and white are counted as colors. The color of the letter faces in None. Additional colors may be approved if they contribute to a the Frontline sign and the Tucker balanced and unified sign design. Griffin Barnes sign is white, as specified in the CSP. For raceway -mounted channel letters, raceways shall match the wall color. 4f Trademarks, corporate logos and graphics: The ARB may The CSP defaults to the EC sign None. require that the color and scale of standard templates for guidelines for graphics. trademarks, service marks, corporate logos and graphics be modified. When used, trademarks, service marks, corporate The Tucker Griffin Barnes sign None. logos and/or graphics should be incorporated as an integral part does not include a graphic. of the overall sign. The Frontline sign includes a None. yellow star that is superimposed on the lowercase letter "o". The color proposed for the star is Pantone Yellow 143C. This color does not fall within the Pantone color range previously identified by the ARB as appropriate for the EC. However, the color is not overly intense, it will only be the second color to be utilized in the building's signage, the graphic is small in comparison to the sign (approximately 10 inches diagonally), and the sign is not illuminated, so the yellow graphic is not expected to have an impact on the EC. III Guidelines for Specific Sign Types 9 Wall Signs 9a Wall signs shall be integrated with the architecture of the The CSP wall sign areas do not None. building and the placement of such signs should not obscure interfere with the piers or architectural features or details, including but not limited to windows of the building and are cornices, windows, columns, pilasters and paneling. regularly spaced based upon the window openings. The Frontline sign and the None. Tucker Griffin Barnes sign meet the CSP criteria. 9b Channel lettering (mounted on a raceway or individual letters) is Not applicable. The CSP None. preferred to cabinet signs because cabinet signs tend to appear specifies that sign text will be less integrated with the building. Channel letters overlay the formed plastic lettering with no wall material and allow the structure of the building to "read illumination. through" with less interruption. This results in a more coordinated overall appearance. 9c For raceway -mounted channel letters, the raceway shall match Not applicable. None. the wall color. 9d The size of a wall sign shall be coordinated with the size of the The CSP defaults to the EC sign None. architectural element on which it is placed. The sign should not Guidelines for the size overcrowd the architectural element, the wall, or the sign area. limitations. (See Illustration 6 on page 26.) Buildings and building elements should not be used as a billboard. For example, an appropriate The proposed designs allow None. height for channel letters in a 30" high sign band is 18". This approximately 1/3 of clear wall allows 6" of unoccupied space above and below the letters. space above and 1/3 of clear wall Generally, 4" of clear space above, below, and to the sides of a space below both of the signs. channel letter sign is considered a minimum, with larger This is consistent with the sign clearances required for larger sign bands. The ARB will guidelines. consider the degree of visibility, the distance from the Entrance Corridor, and the architectural design of the building and the sign area in its determination of appropriate sizes and placement. 10 Wall Signs For Multiple Business Centers 10a A complete sign package shall be provided as part of the An existing sign above the main None. submittal materials for the review of any new multiple business entrance of the building is center. The proposal should address how compatibility among composed of white formed signs will be achieved, and how new signs will be coordinated plastic letters mounted directly to with the architecture of the building(s); the first approved sign the wall (See Figure 1). The installed in a multiple business center will establish the standard proposed CSP sets the Sign for all future signs for that center. The future review of Type, Letter Face Color, sign proposals for new signs in existing multiple business centers Locations, and Mounting Details will take into consideration the character and appearance of the to match the existing sign. Most existing building(s) and with existing sign(s). other sign features default to the EC sign Guidelines or do not b. Multiple business centers shall use a single sign type for all apply. wall signs. 10b The compatibility of the signs is None. c. Compatibility among signs must be maintained through color maintained through color. All or font and typeface selection. text is to be white. 10c Signs must be placed on the building in a manner that The submitted CSP shows the None. establishes a unified appearance. placement of future signs. The locations specified will establish 10d a unified and symmetrical appearance. The sign areas are placed at regular intervals and are the same size with the exception of the existing sign area over the main entry at the center of the building. Both proposed sign locations None. follow the CSP criteria. Summary of Recommendations: Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: • The color of the graphic in the Frontline sign is Pantone Yellow 143C. This color does not fall within the Pantone color range previously identified by the ARB as appropriate for the EC. • The suggested modifications to the proposed CSP to clarify the material. Staff recommends approval of the Certificates of Appropriateness for the Frontline and Tucker Griffin Barnes signs with no conditions. Staff recommends approval of the Comprehensive Sign Plan for Rio West 301-343 with the following modifications to the proposed criteria: SIGN FEATURE CRITERIA SIGN TYPE Fefmed Plastie Lettefing, lettefs fneented iftdividua4ly on the wall. Individual letters. LETTER FACE COLOR White TRIM CAP/RETURN COLOR N/A RACEWAY COLOR N/A CABINET FACE COLORS N/A SIZE LIMITATIONS Standard guidelines apply. LOCATIONS In sign panels illustrated by approved building elevations. MOUNTING DETAILS Flush Mount LOGO GRAPHICS DETAILS Standard guidelines apply. ILLUMINATION DETAILS No Illumination TEXT Not specified. LETTER TYPE FONT Not specified. MATERIALS Formed Plastic or other materials with a similar appearance Figure 1: Existing wall sign. Figure 2: Rio West 301-343 building.