HomeMy WebLinkAboutAUP_2021-09-16_AgendaPacket
* COVID-19 NOTICE *
Consistent with Executive Orders N-25-20 and No. N-29-20 from the
Executive Department of the State of California and the San Luis Obispo
County Health Official’s March 18, 2020 Shelter at Home Order, the AUP
Meeting will not be physically open to the public and Planning Staff will be
teleconferencing into the meeting.
HOW TO SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENT:
Members of the public are highly encouraged to call 669-900-6833 to listen and
provide public comment via phone, or submit written public comments to
aup-comments@atascadero.org by 5:00 p.m. on the day before the meeting. Such
email comments must identify the Agenda Item Number in the subject line of the
email. The comments will be read into the record, with a maximum allowance of 3
minutes per individual comment, subject to the Zoning Administrator’s discretion. All
comments should be a maximum of 500 words, which corresponds to approximately
3 minutes of speaking time. If a comment is received after the agenda item is heard
but before the close of the meeting, the comment will still be included as a part of the
record of the meeting but will not be read into the record.
AMERICAN DISABILITY ACT ACCOMMODATIONS:
Any member of the public who needs accommodations should contact the City
Clerk’s Office at cityclerk@atascadero.org or by calling 805-470-3400 at least 48
hours prior to the meeting or time when services are needed. The City will use their
best efforts to provide reasonable accommodations to afford as much accessibility
as possible while also maintaining public safety in accordance with the City procedure
for resolving reasonable accommodation requests.
To join the meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88417152051?pwd=M2h5bWlDekZhUWRwNi9yUUxPcWVhZz09
Webinar ID: 884 1715 2051
Administrative Use Permit agendas and staff reports may be viewed on the City's
website: www.atascadero.org. Final Action Reports will be available after the
meeting, and upon request from the Community Development Department.
Copies of the staff reports or other documentation relating to each item of business referred to on
the Agenda are on file in the Community Development Department and are available for public
inspection on our website, www.atascadero.org. All documents submitted by the public during AUP
meetings that are either read into the record or referred to in their statement will be noted in the audio
recording and available for review by contacting the Community Development Department. All
documents will be available for public inspection during City Hall business hours by appointment
request, or once City Hall is open to the public following the termination of the Shelter at Home Order.
C ITY OF A TASCADERO
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
6500 PALMA AVE ▪ ATASCADERO, CA 93422 ▪ (805) 461 -5035 ▪ FAX 461-7612
Administrative Use Permit Hearing
A G E N D A
*MEETING WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY*
The City of Atascadero’s Zoning Hearing Officer will hold a public hearing
at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 16, 2021 at City Hall to consider
the following project:
1. 9155 SAN GABRIEL ST, (USE21-0079); The application for the project is to
allow for an increase in the area of signage permitted on a gas station
canopy. Staff recommendation is to approve the proposed signage with
conditions. (Shell Gas Station/Perry Builders) (Mariah Gasch,
Associate Planner)
PLEASE NOTE: Any court challenge to the actions taken at the public
hearing may be limited to considering only those issues raised at the public
hearing described in this notice or in written correspondence to the City of
Atascadero at, or prior to, the public hearing.
Any decision of the Hearing Officer is final unless a ppealed to the Planning
Commission within 14 days of the action. Any person aggrieved by the
decision may file an appeal. Appeal forms are available in the Community
Development Department or on the City’s website (www.atascadero.org).
The fee for filing an appeal is $806 and must accompany the appeal
documentation.
C ITY OF A TASCADERO
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Administrative Hearing Agenda Report ITEM # 1
FROM: Mariah Gasch MEETING DATE: 9/16/2021
FILE NUMBER: USE21-0079
PROJECT ADDRESS: 9155 San Gabriel Street
SITUATION: The applicant requests a modification to the area of signage permitted on
a gas station canopy at 9155 San Gabriel St. Shell Gas Station (Perry Builders, Inc.)
requests building permits to replace the existing onsite signs for the new gas station
tenant. The applicant proposes to change the sign face on a previously approved
monument sign and freeway sign. These modifications do not require approval from the
Administrative Hearing Officer. However, new signage proposed for the perimeter of the
canopy and the convenience store exceed what has previously been approved for the
site and the standards of the Sign Ordinance and would require approval of an
Administrative Use Permit for this signage.
EVALUATION: The Sign Ordinance limits sign area in the commercial zones to an
aggregate total of 125 square feet per site. High chroma color banding is defined as a
sign, and is subject to size limitations. The total sign area may be divided into multiple
signs, provided each individual sign meets the requirements of the Sign Ordinance,
including:
9-15.005 Allowed signs
(a)(7) Gas Station Canopies. In addition to the signs allowed above, a maximum of twenty (20) square
feet signs, logos and or color banding shall be permitted on no more than two (2) sides of a pump island
canopy structure. The remainder of the pump canopy fascia shall be of an architectural treatment
consistent with site architecture.
The applicant proposes to replace the existing canopy banding with Shell’s corporate red
and yellow colors. This is consistent with the amount of signage that was previously
approved for this structure. However, the applicant is proposing to add Shell logo signs
to three sides of the canopy, increasing the overall aggregate sign area by approximately
12 square feet.
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In addition to the canopy, the applicant is also increasing the overall sign size for the
convenience store “Food Mart” sign by adding corporate color banding to it. This also
adds to the total aggregate signage of the site. The addition of the color banding adds
approximately 22 feet to the wall signage.
Overall sign calculations
With the addition of proposed signage, the site would have approximately 225 square
feet of signage.
Exceptions to the Sign Standards
AMC Section 9-15.006 allows the sign area or other limitations of the Sign Ordinance to
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be modified through approval of an Administrative Use Permit, subject to findings and
appearance review. Staff recommends approving the signs as proposed. The addition s
to the building and canopy signs are minor and will not negatively affect the surrounding
area. Larger signage will increase visibility from nearby Highway 101 and the public way.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Administrative Hearing Officer approve USE21 -0079 to allow the
signage as proposed.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
☒ Categorical Exemption CEQA – Guidelines Section 15311
☐ Statutory Exemption §§ 21000, et seq & ________________________
☐ No Project – Ministerial Project
Findings
AMC 9-15.011 requires the Hearing Officer to make the following 4 findings:
(1) The sign is consistent with the purposes set forth in Section 9-15.002;
The proposed sign helps meet needs that are based in the following purposes outlined in
section 9-15.002 of the AMC. Section 9-15.002(a) intends to “Maintain and improve the
aesthetic environment and overall community appearance to foster the City’s ability to
attract sources of economic development and growth.” Section 9-15.002(c) intends to
“implement quality sign design standards that are consistent with the City’s General Plan,
Zoning Ordinance and Appearance Review Guidelines;” Section 9-15.002(e) intends
to “minimize possible adverse impacts of signs on private and public property in order to
maintain property values and to maintain a positive City image;” Section 9-
15.002(g) intends to “generally limit commercial signage to on-site locations in order to
protect the aesthetic environment from the visual clutter associated with the unrestricted
proliferation of signs, while providing channels of communication to the public.” Finally,
Section 9-15.002(h) intends to “limit the size and number of signs to levels that
reasonably allow for the identification of a residential, public or commercial location and
the nature of any such commercial business.”
(2) The opportunity to combine signs for more than one (1) use on a single sign structure
has been considered;
Although more than one sign is proposed, they are unable to be combined.
(3) For freeway-oriented signs, the sign area and height are the minimum needed to
achieve adequate visibility along the freeway due to highway ramp locations and
grade differences; and
The proposed signs are meant to be visible from the freeway. Their sizes and locations
achieve this goal without negatively impacting the surrounding area.
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(4) Conformance with all other applicable codes and ordinances of the City, including, but
not limited to, the Zoning Ordinance, General Plan and its several elements, and the
appearance review guidelines. (Ord. 604 § 2, 2016)
The proposed sign is in compliance with the City’s appearance review manual guidelines
related to signs. Specifically, the sign is in scale and proportion in its visual relationship
to the building and surrounding structures, and can be considered harmonious with the
building.
Conditions
1. The design and location of the sign shall be consistent with Attachment 2.
Code Requirements
1. AMC 9-15 (Sign Ordinance)
2. AMC 9-1.112 Administrative Use Permit
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Location and Zoning
Attachment 2: Proposed Signs
Action:
Approve
Approve as conditioned
Deny
Continue to: _______________ to allow _________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Continue indefinitely to allow: __________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
Hearing Officer Date
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ATTACHMENT 1: Location and Zoning
USE21-0079
Shell Gas Station
N
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ATTACHMENT 2: Proposed Signs
USE21-0079
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C ITY OF A TASCADERO
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
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