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Home My WebLink AboutAUP_2020-08-03_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 805-538-2888 to listen and provide public comment via phone, or submit written public comments to aup-comments@atascadero.org by 5:00 pm 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. If you would like to view presentations provided during the meeting you may access them by clicking on the following link: Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/811178797 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. 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 The City of Atascadero’s Zoning Hearing Officer will hold a public hearing at 9:00 a.m. or later on Monday, August 3, 2020, at City Hall to consider the following project. 1. 8665 EL CAMINO REAL, USE20-0056; The project is an application to allow for an addition to an existing multi-tenant monument sign, amending the Shopping Center’s current sign program. Staff recommendation is to approve the proposed signage with conditions. (Ladera Properties/ The Sign Place) (Mariah Gasch, Assistant 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 (fee as of 7/27/2020) and must accompany the appeal documentation. C ITY OF A TASCADERO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Administrative Hearing Agenda Report ITEM # 1 FROM: Mariah Gasch MEETING DATE: 8/3/2020 FILE NUMBER: USE20-0056 PROJECT ADDRESS: 8665 El Camino Real SITUATION: The applicant, Johan Scharin, is proposing to expand an existing monument sign at the Atascadero Oaks Shopping Center. In 2002, the owner went through a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process to get a Master Sign Program approved. This approved a larger monument sign than what is allowed by the Atascadero Municipal Code (AMC). This sign program was amended later in 2002 and then again with the CUP for Fitness Evolution in 2015. The proposed addition exceeds the previously approved size, requiring an amendment to the current sign program. EVALUATION: The monument sign is approximately 22 feet tall with three double-faced cabinet signs for current tenants. The applicant is proposing to add a fourth cabinet sign for a single tenant, the Laurus College. The Laurus College will continue to have a smaller sign in one of the existing cabinets as well. The existing faces will remain unchanged and stay as they are pictured in Attachment 2. The proposed cabinet will be 3’ x 11’ for a total of 33 square feet. This cabinet sign will be added to the bottom of the monument sign. The plan has been reviewed by the City Engineer and it has been determined that the addition will not hinder site distance for the shopping center. In accordance with AMC 9- 15.008, the existing sign is located in a decorative stone base within a landscaped planter. The addition will not affect the sign’s height and have only a small effect on the sign’s overall appearance. There will continue to be ample room around the base for landscaping and the addition of the sign will not affect the height of la ndscaping. Staff recommends approving the monument sign addition as proposed. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Administrative Hearing Officer approve Use 20-0056 to allow an amendment to the existing Atascadero Oaks Shopping Center sign program, approving the addition of one cabinet sign to an existing monument sign. ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION ☒ Categorical Exemption CEQA – Guidelines Section 15311 ☐ Statutory Exemption §§ 21000, et seq & ________________________ ☐ No Project – Ministerial Project 1 Page 2 Findings AMC 9-15.011 requires the Hearing Officer to make the following 4 findings: 1. The need for such signing is based on the purposes set forth in Section 9 -15.002; The proposed signs accomplish three of the required purposes. Section 9-15.002 (a) describes the purpose 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) describes the purpose of implementing “quality sign design standards that are consistent with the City’s General Plan, Zoning Ordinance and Appearance Review Guidelines”. Finally, Section 9-15.002 (i) describes the purpose of regulating “signs in a manner so as not to physically interfere with or obstruct the vision of pedestrian or vehicular traffic.” 2. The opportunity to combine signs for more than one (1) use on a single sign structure has been considered; The existing sign has multiple tenants who share two of the three monument sign faces. Due to the number of tenants in the center, the individual signs can be difficult to read from El Camino Real. The Laurus College is a major tenant in the center and a larger sign is justifiable. 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 not freeway oriented. 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) Improving the appearance and character of Atascadero, including signage, is a Framework Principle of the General Plan. These signs in this zoning district are appropriate for the desired appearance and character of the City. Conditions 1. Building permits shall be obtained prior to installation of the signs. Property owner’s permission shall be obtained in writing and submitted to City prior to issuance of permit(s). 2. The design and location of each sign shall be consistent with what is shown in Attachment 2. Code Requirements 1. AMC 9-15 (Sign Ordinance) 2. AMC 9-1.112 Administrative Use Permit 2 Page 3 Action:  Approve  Approve as modified: __________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________  Deny _________________________________________ ___________________________________ Hearing Officer 3 Site Plan Monument Sign Attachment 1: Location Map USE 20-0056 4 Proposed Sign Attachment 2: Proposed Sign USE 20-0056 5 Existing Sign Attachment 3: Site Photos USE 20-0056 6