2401 Mayport Road (Comfort Inn) Staff Report CC 11.13.2006
CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH
CITY COMMISSION STAFF REPORT
AGENDA ITEM: Request from the Comfort Inn located at 2401 Mayport Road to allow for full sign face replacement on a nonconforming pylon sign.
SUBMITTED BY: Sonya Doerr, AICP
Community Development Director
DATE: October 30, 2006
BACKGROUND: Section 17-51 (3) iv. of the Sign regulations requires that non-conforming signs be brought into compliance with the current regulations when the alteration to a sign
involves: Any change, which alters the material used for the Display Area or Face Area by more than twenty-five (25) percent.
The Comfort Inn, located at 2401 Mayport Road, has requested a waiver to the above provision to allow for face replacement after the existing sign face was damaged by hurricane winds
two years ago. The owner of the Comfort Inn applied for a sign permit last summer to replace the sign faces, and was advised of this provision at that time. The owner was also aware
that a corporate logo change was pending, and delayed any further immediate action related to the sign. The owner has informed staff that Choice Hotels, the corporate management for
Comfort Inns, now requires that the damaged sign be repaired and replaced with the new corporate logo for the hotel chain, or risk revocation of the franchise. The only proposed changes
to the existing Comfort Inn sign are replacement of the two acrylic faces (see attached), an upgrade to the lighting assembly which surrounds the internally illuminated sign, and repainting
of the existing pole.
Four waivers to the face replacement provision have been requested since the sign regulations were re-written in 2002. Requests from two fuel/convenience markets (the BP station located
at 1211 Mayport Road and the Valero at 1480 Mayport Road) requested full face replacement when those businesses changed ownership. Those requests were denied, and the two new signs
were constructed to conform to the sign regulations.
A third waiver was approved for PanAm Mini-Storage at 2383 Mayport Road to permit face replacement after that sign face was damaged by a gunshot, with notice to the business owner that
all signs are required to comply with current sign regulations by September 09, 2012.
BUDGET: No budget issues.
RECOMMENDATION: Consider request for a Waiver from the Sign regulations to allow full replacement of the material used for the Sign Face Area on an existing Nonconforming Sign for the
Comfort Inn located at 2401 Mayport Road.
ATTACHMENTS: Application and photographs.
REVIEWED BY CITY MANAGER: ___________________________