2011-11-15_CDB minutes Minutes of the November 15, 2011 regular meeting of the Community Development Board
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3 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE
4 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD
5 November 15, 2011
6 1. CALL TO ORDER. — 6:02pm
7 Chairman Chris Lambertson verified presence of a quorum with the attendance of Kelly Elmore,
8 Kirk Hansen, Chris Lambertson (chair), Brea Paul, and Patrick Stratton. Blaine Adams and
9 Harley Parkes were absent. Also in attendance were Principal Planner Erika Hall and Building
10 Official Michael Griffin.
11 2. ADOPTION OF MEETING MINUTES — SEPTEMBER 20, 2011.
12 Mr. Lambertson called for a motion to approve the minutes of the September 20, 2011 meeting.
13 MOTION: Mr. Hansen moved to approve and adopt the minutes of the September 20, 2011
14 meeting, as written. Seconded by Ms. Paul, the motion carried 5 -0.
15 3. RECOGNITION OF VISITORS.
16 Ms. Hall introduced Board members to Mr. Jason Burgess who was in attendance and was
17 recently appointed to the Board with a term beginning in January 2012.
18 4. OLD BUSINESS. None.
19 5. NEW BUSINESS.
20 A. UBE- 2011 - 00100063
21 APPLICANT: Connie Craven
22 ADDRESS: 393 3" Street
23 REQUEST: Home Occupation (Artist/Jewelry Designer & Internet Sales)
24
25 Ms. Hall introduced the item, explaining that Ms. Craven is requesting a Use -by- Exception
26 granting approval for a Home Occupation consistent with Section 24- 106(c)(4), and in
27 accordance with the provisions of Section 24 -159, permitting professional artistic services
28 together with design and crafts activities associated with beading and jewelry making, not
29 involving equipment other than normal business office machines, within a single- family
30 dwelling located on a property in the Residential Single Family (RS -2) Zoning District at 393
31 3r Street. She noted that Ms. Craven was unable to attend this meeting due to a previously
32 scheduled event; however, she did provide a copy of her artist's statement to explain her work
33 process and a link to her eBay website to show the finished products.
34 Ms. Hall continued that Ms. Craven had sufficiently addressed all review criteria of Section
35 24 -63(d) on her application, noting that there is no need for additional structures, additional
36 ingress /egress, additional parking or loading areas, additional or special refuse or trash
37 collection, additional utilities, additional yards open space or special screening/buffering,
38 signs, or exterior lighting, because all activities, including storage of materials and finished
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Minutes of the November 15, 2011 regular meeting of the Community Development Board
39 jewelry products, will be completely within one bedroom of the existing dwelling. A
40 computer, digital camera and scanner /printer are to be used in the marketing and sales of the
41 products through Ms. Craven's online eBay store, while delivery of supplies and shipment of
42 orders will be via standard USPS service.
43 Mr. Elmore commented that this appeared to be a clear -cut case in which the requested
44 activities have already been deemed as acceptable by the provisions of Section 24 -159, and
45 that this Board's review is merely a procedural requirement. Mr. Lambertson opened to the
46 floor to public comment, and with there being none, closed that portion of the hearing and
47 brought the item back before the Board for further discussion. With no additional discussion,
48 he called for a motion.
49 MOTION: Mr. Elmore moved that the Board recommend to the City Commission approval
50 of UBE- 2011 - 00100063 permitting a Home Occupation for professional artistic services
51 together with design and crafts activities associated with beading and jewelry making, and
52 internet marketing and sales, not involving equipment other than normal business office
53 machines, within a single - family dwelling located on a property in the Residential Single
54 Family (RS -2) Zoning District at 393 3Td Street, finding that the request is consistent with
55 Section 24- 106(c)(4), and in accordance with the provisions of Section 24 -159 of the adopted
56 Land Development Regulations. Seconded by Mr. Stratton, the motion carried unanimously,
57 5 -0.
58 B. ORD NO 60 -11 -17 (PROPOSED)
59 APPLICANT: Planning & Zoning Division
60 ADDRESS: Commercial & Industrial Zoning Districts, Citywide
61 REQUEST: Revision of Section 17 -29 of Sign Code
62
63 Ms. Hall introduced this item to the Board, and explained that staff is requesting that the
64 Board make a recommendation to the City Commission to amend Section 17 -29 of the Sign
65 Code, to allow fascia signs equivalent to one (1) square foot of sign face area per each linear
66 foot of frontage, up to a maximum two hundred (200) square feet of sign face area, applicable
67 to fascia signs on both single- occupant and multiple- occupant structures, and to remove
68 extraneous language and reorder /renumber the section so as to clarify the provisions.
69 Ms. Hall explained that with the recent submittal of a preliminary sign plan by the incoming
70 tenant of the old Publix space, staff realized there was a problem with Section 17 -29.
71 Particularly, prior to adoption of Ordinance No 60 -02 -12 on September 9, 2002, provisions
72 regarding fascia signs read as follows:
73 No flat sign shall utilize or occupy an area greater than one square foot of surface
74 for each linear foot of building or unit frontage of the building or unit occupied to
75 which the sign is attached. [Section 17- 2(b)(1)]
76 However, Section 17 -29(a) of the adopted Sign Code regarding fascia signs currently reads as
77 follows:
78 (1) Fascia signs for buildings with a single business or occupant.
79 (a) Size permitted: One (1) square foot of sign face area for each linear foot of
80 the building width that faces the front of the lot, as defined in Section 24 -17
81 of this Code, provided that no single fascia sign on any one side of a building
82 shall exceed sixty (60) square feet of sign face area.
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Minutes of the November 15, 2011 regular meeting of the Community Development Board
83 (2) Fascia signs for buildings with multiple businesses or occupants.
84 (a) Size permitted: One (1) square foot of sign face area for each linear foot of
85 the unit(s) occupied by one business or occupant, provided that no such
86 fascia shall exceed forty -eight (48) square feet of sign face area for any one
87 business.
88
89 As such, the currently adopted maximum sign face areas of sixty (60) and forty-eight (48)
90 feet, impose severe limitations on the visibility of fascia signs placed on buildings with large
91 linear frontages exceeding those dimensions, especially those set back a substantial distance
92 from the right -of -way, as is the case with most shopping centers. And, because there are no
93 provisions for sign variances, applicants must ask the City Commission to grant waivers of
94 these Sign Code provisions.
95
96 Ms. Hall continued, explaining that while researching this matter, it was discovered that a
97 number of fascia signs permitted since the 2002 rewrite do exceed the stated maximums, but
98 there is no evidence that any of those have appeared before the Commission seeking or
99 obtaining waivers. Further, there is no indication that these signs were accounted for in
100 recent sign compliance reviews related to impending amortization of nonconforming signs.
101 To do so now would more than double the number of nonconforming signs, and to require
102 businesses to bring both freestanding and fascia signs into compliance would most likely be
103 judged as an undue and excessive hardship.
104
105 Ms. Hall stated that review of the Neptune Beach Sign Code revealed a nearly identical
106 framework to that of Atlantic Beach, except Neptune Beach limits fascia sign face area — both
107 single- and multiple- occupant — to a maximum of two hundred (200) square feet. In order to
108 substantiate which regulation was more consistent with the norm, the maximum sign face
109 area for fascia signs within several other Florida municipalities were examined, as
110 summarized in the table below:
FASCIA SIGNS MAXIMUM SIGN FACE AREA
JURISDICTION SINGLE OCCUPANT MULTIPLE OCCUPANT
Atlantic Beach 60 SQ FT 48 SQ FT
Cape Canaveral 160 SQ FT 160 SQ FT
Destin 150 SQ FT 150 SQ FT
Gainesville 200 SQ FT 200 SQ FT
Jacksonville 300 SQ FT 300 SQ FT
Jacksonville Beach 250 SQ FT 250 SQ FT
Neptune Beach 200 SQ FT 200 SQ FT
Sarasota* 300 SQ FT 200 SQ FT
Saint Augustine 250 SQ FT 250 SQ FT
Tallahassee 300 SQ FT 150 SQ FT
111
112 Based upon findings that the current Atlantic Beach provisions are considerably more
113 restrictive than those of the other jurisdictions, and there is no historic evidence to
114 substantiate the 2002 revision, staff has drafted an ordinance proposing revision of Section
115 17 -29 for consistency with the Neptune Beach regulations for maximum sign face area of
116 fascia signs. Ms. Hall then directed the Board to the strike - through/underline draft of Section
117 17 -29 attached to the staff report. She explained that the only substantive change was to the
118 maximum sign face area standard for fascia signs, but noted "house- keeping" mandated a few
119 additional standardization updates, such as removal of redundant or extraneous language,
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Minutes of the November 15, 2011 regular meeting of the Community Development Board
120 addition or revision of subsection titles and number, all of which are addressed in comments
121 in the right margin of the draft, and summarized below:
122
123 • Comment [ehl]: Creates a new subsection titled "Fascia signs" to differentiate from
124 regulations applicable to freestanding and bracket or marquee signs.
125 • Comment [eh2]: Revises language, changes the maximum area of fascia signs (for
126 buildings with a single business or occupant) to 200 square feet,
127 consistent with NB and other jurisdictions.
128 • Comment [eh3]: Corrects subsection reference according to updated numbering.
129 • Comment [eh4]: Revises language, changes the maximum area of fascia signs (for
130 buildings with multiple businesses or occupants) to 200 square feet,
131 consistent with NB and other jurisdictions.
132 • Comment [eh5]: Creates a subsection title for bracket & marquee signs.
133 • Comment [eh6]: Adds the word "only" to emphasize exclusivity of this particular
134 provision.
135 Comment [eh7]: Revises for word choice.
136 • Comment [eh8]: Revises to eliminate redundant language contained in definition of
137 freestanding signs.
138 • Comment [eh9]: Revises to eliminate redundant language (9 lines), summarizes into a
139 single statement and placed under proper heading of "Size permitted ".
140 • Comment [eh 10]: Revises to eliminate extraneous language and make subsection
141 structurally consistent with remainder of section.
142 • Comment [ehl 1]: Relocates improperly placed paragraph from next subsection.
143 • Comment [ehl2]: Creates a subsection title for real estate signs.
144 • Comment [eh13]: Revises the subsection title for street numbers.
145
146 Mr. Lambertson opened the hearing to public comment, and with there being none, brought
147 the item back to the Board for discussion. The consensus of the Board was that it is entirely
148 reasonable for the Atlantic Beach sign regulations to be consistent with those of Neptune
149 Beach, especially along a shared corridor. With no further discussion, Mr. Lambertson called
150 fora motion.
151
152 MOTION: Mr. Hansen moved that the Board recommend to the City Commission approval
153 of proposed Ordinance No. 60- 11 -17, amending Section 17 -29 of the Sign Code as presented
154 in strike - through/underline draft format and described by staff, finding that these revisions are
155 consistent with and serve to accomplish and implement the goals, objectives and policies of
156 the Comprehensive Plan regarding provision of orderly growth, protection of property values,
157 advancement of economic development opportunities, maintenance of a safe and aesthetically
158 pleasing environment. Seconded by Ms. Paul, the motion carried unanimously, 5 -0.
159 6. OTHER BUSINESS NOT REQUIRING ACTION. None.
160 7. ADJOURNMENT — 6:25 PM
161
162 , V. Ade
163 Chri - ambertson, Chairman
164
165 9 /„. . iid i ax...2
166
167 Attest
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