HomeMy WebLinkAboutNotice of ActionCITY OF ATA.SCA.DERO
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Notice of Action ITEM # 1
FROM: Sam Mountain, Assistant Planner MEETING DATE: 7/18/23
FILE NUMBER: USE23-0054
PROJECT ADDRESS: 6910 EI Camino Real
SITUATION:
The applicant is proposing four new signs for the upcoming Huckleberry's restaurant in
the DC (Downtown Commercial) zoning district. These include a wall sign, a wall mural,
and the installation of Huckleberry's branding on a monument sign and freeway -facing
pylon sign. The square footage of the proposed wall sign is 60 square feet, the square
footage of the monument sign is 33 square feet, the square footage of the freeway -facing
sign is 64 square feet, and the square footage of the wall mural is 33 SF. In total, the
aggregate sign area is 190 square feet, exceeding code allowances in the DC zone by
140 square feet.
EVALUATION:
The signs are for the upcoming Huckleberry's restaurant at 6910 EI Camino Real and will
take the place of the previous tenant's signage (Denny's). The building is located roughly
200 feet north of Highway 101 and has a northeast frontage on EI Camino Real. The
proposal includes a wall sign and wall mural on the southeast facade, a monument sign
in a planter on the eastern end of the property, and a freeway -facing pylon sign on the
southwestend of the property, as detailed below.
The proposed wall sign includes illuminated acrylic pan -channel lettering with aluminum
halo -lit backing. It will be adorned with the Huckleberry's logo on a ribbon design with a
berry graphic behind the ribbon, and is proposed to be located above the main restaurant
entrance facing the southeast parking lot. This sign is 140" in length and 60" in height,
totaling just under 60SF.
The proposed wall mural will consist of a digital print on vinyl overlaid atop a 0.5" plywood
board. This print will show a painting of a bayou -style home or dock building with trees, a
river, and a boat (see next page). It will be 84" in length by 56" in height for a total of 33
SF. It is proposed to be located on the southeast side of the building, a few feet past the
windows to the left of the main entrance.
The monument sign is located inside of a landscaped area on the eastern end of the
property, abutting EI Camino Real. This sign is pre-existing and will be refaced; it originally
displayed the logo of the previous tenant. The design of this sign will be similar to that of
the wall sign, simply showing the Huckleberry's logo on a solid -color white background.
The faces of this sign measure 89" in length by 53" in height for a total of 33 SF on either
face.
Page 2
The freeway -facing pylon sign is located on the far southern end of the property, abutting
Highway 101. It is currently existing; the scope of this project consists of replacing the
existing copy with Huckleberry's signage. This sign is roughly ::perpendicular to the
highway and faces SE/NW. It will not be illuminated.
Section 3rig'"
Atascadero Municipal Bode ion 9-15.0071im its totia aggregate sign area to 50 Sin
the Downtown Commercial (DC) zone unless an exception is granted through 'the
approval of an Administrative Use Permit. The following four signs are proposed:
Size
Sign Type
Location"
(Square
Image
Feet)
Wall Sign
SE
60 SF
mansard
roof, facing
parking lot
VIM W -A A 71.1 It
Monument
Landscape 33 SF
Sign
planter in
parking lot
abutting
ECR
SW side of 64 SF
Freeway-
facing sign
parking lot
abutting
Hwy 101
SE 33 SF
Wall Mural
elevation
wall, left of
windows
Total
190 SF
Page 3
The signs will help identify and promote this business and increase visibility from Highway
101 and EI Camino Real. The signs as proposed are proportional to building elevations
in both size and quantity.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Administrative Hearing Officer approve USE23-0052 to allow the
signage as proposed.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
® Categorical Exemption CEQA — Guidelines Section 15311 and 15301(g)
❑ 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 signs meets the listed purposes for signage outlined in section 9-15.002 of
the Atascadero Municipal Code. 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." The proposed signage will help
promote a new business on EI Camino Real near downtown. 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;" The signage is well-
designed, aesthetically -pleasing, and will improve a building fagade on a commercial
corridor. 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." The signage is limited to what is necessary for communication and visual
balance and does not create additional visual clutter. 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." The proposed signs are not excessive and in fact rather modest —
for example, there is only one proposed wall/roof sign where three would be hypothetically
possible (reflecting the three building elevations visible from EI Camino Real).The signage
is generally limited to what is necessary to draw in customers from north- and southbound
EI Camino Real as well as Highway 101.
2. The opportunity to combine signs for more than one (1) use on a single sign
structure has been considered,-
The
onsidered,
The proposed wall sign is considered appropriate by staff in order to communicate the
tenant's location and services to potential customers. Huckleberry's will be the only
building tenant; thus, there is no opportunity to combine uses on the wall sign or
monument sign. The freeway -facing sign was previously used by the prior tenant
(Denny's) as a single -tenant sign and this use will continue with Huckleberry's.
Page 4
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 freeway -oriented sign is existing and will simply be refaced as part of this project; the
applicant is not proposing any additional freeway -oriented signage. Its pole is screened
by trees and its height and face area are modest and well -sized.
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 sign conforms with applicable codes and ordinances of the City, including Framework
Principles of the General Plan that call for improving the appearance and character of
Atascadero through signage. General Plan Policy 1.3 notes that projects should
"[e]nhance the rural character and appearance of the City, including commercial corridors,
gateways and public facilities." The proposed signage helps promote the downtown El
Camino Real commercial corridor by providing signage to identify a major tenant on a
newly -revitalized property near Highway 101. General Plan Policy 13.3 urges the City to
"[e]xpand tourist commercial nodes to serve the traveling public at freeway. interchanges
and develop tourist destinations based on the Atascadero's rural character." While it is
not a tourist destination, Huckleberry's is a draw for Highway 101 commuters, and the
freeway sign in particular will draw the business of those who may otherwise drive past
the City.
The proposed signage also conforms substantially with the City's Appearance Review
Manual. Guideline 5C notes that "the colors, materials, and lighting of every sign shall be
restrained and harmonious with the building and site to which it principally relates," and
Guideline 5A elaborates: "every sign shall have good scale and proportion in its design
and in its visual relationship to buildings and surroundings." The proposed signs are
restrained in size and visual elements, consisting of a modestly -sized mural and various
sizes of the Huckleberry's logo which fit the respective scale of the structure the signs are
placed upon. While the logo and mural have many details, there are no separate or
extraneous design elements that create visual clutter.
Conditions
1. Wall sign must not extend higher than the top of the roofline.
2. With the exception of reasonable alterations made to fulfill Condition 1, the design
and location of signs shall be consistent with the attached project exhibits.
3. Applicant must receive (a) building permit(s) prior to installing signs.
Code Requirements
1. AMC 9-15 (Sign Ordinance)
2. AMC 9-1.112 Administrative Use Permit
Page 5
Attachments
Attachment 1 -Location Map
Attachment 2 -Zoning Map
Attachment 3 - Proposed Elevations
Action:
❑ Approve
Approve as modified
❑ Deny
❑ Continue to: to allow
❑ Continue indefinitely to allow:
Gleasod,
Attachment 1: Location Map Is.,NN,
USE23-0054
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