6.2. SR 08-18-2003MEMORANDUM
Item # 6.?.
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Mayor and City Council
Scott Harlicker, Senior Planner
August 18, 2003
Case No. Cu 03-18
Request by Wash-N-Fill to Amend the PUD Agreement - Elk
River Crossing
Request
Consider a request by Wash-N-Fill to amend the PUD Agreement to allow for additional
wall and canopy signs and an illuminated canopy.
60 Day Rule
To comply with the 60 day rule, without an extension, this item needs action by August 29,
2003.
Location
18296 Zane St.
Zoning/Land Use
PUD (Planned Unit Development) / HB (Highway Business)
Attachments
Location Map
Canopy and Building Elevations
· Site Plan
Letter from applicant
Memo to Planning Commission/CU 03-18
July 22, 2003
Page 2
Overview
The applicant is proposing to install two additional canopy signs and two additional wall
signs. They are also proposing to illuminate a portion of the canopy. Currently there is one
canopy sign located on the northwest side of the canopy. There are also two walls signs; one
above the entrance to the car wash and one above the exit. The building wall signs read
"Express Car Wash" and the canopy sign reads "Conoco". The current signage was
approved as part of the initial conditional use permit for Wash-N-Fill. The canopy is not
illuminated, per the Elk River Crossing PUD Agreement, except for an 8" red band around
the bottom of the roof.
The applicant is changing the brand of gasoline from Conoco to Exxon. The existing canopy
sign and the two additional canopy signs will read Exxon and the two additional wall signs
will be the Exxon tiger emblem.
Canopy Signs and Illumination
The existing canopy sign is 20 square feet in size. Each of the proposed Exxon signs are 32"
x 90" (20sf.). The applicant indicates that because of the location of the large Home
Depot/Wal-Mart monument sign and the low profile Wash-N-Fill monument sign,
additional canopy signs are critical for business and product identification. The additional
signs will identify the business from Main Street and highway 169.
The applicant is proposing to illuminate the canopy with back-lite fluorescent tubes. It will
have a 24" illuminated red band with a 1' white band on the bottom. The overall height of
the canopy will be reduced from 48" to 36". The white band will not be illuminated by direct
lighting. However, it will be illuminated by indirect lighting from the fluorescent light above
it. The attached lighting information compares the candle power of the proposed canopy
lighting with that of the Holiday Station at School Street and Highway 169. The applicant
explained that it would be similar in brightness to the Shell station at Proctor and Highway
10.
Building Wall Signs
The applicant is proposing two additional building wall signs. The signs will be the Exxon
tiger emblem. Each sign will be a 5' diameter drcle and will be internally illuminated. They
will be located on the north and south sides of the building next to the car wash entrance
and exit.
Planning Commission Meeting
At the Planning Commission meeting held on July 22nd, no one spoke at the public hearing.
The Commission discussed the impact on the apartments to the north. The light from an
illuminated canopy could spill over into the apartment windows. The Commission voted
unanimously to recommend approval of the signs and denial of the illuminated canopy.
Memo to Planning CommissionYCU 03-18
July 22, 2003
Page 3
Recommendation
The Planning Commission and staff recommend that the City Council approve the request
by Wash-N-Fill for the additional signs.
The Planning Commission and staff recommend that the City Council deny the request for
an illuminated canopy based on the following findings:
1. The light from an illuminated canopy would spill over into the apartment windows
of the apartments located on the north side of Main Street, adjacent roadways and
other properties. This would "detrimentally affect the use and enjoyment of other
property in the immediate vicinity and affect the safety of the neighborhood or the
city."
2. The proposed illuminated canopy would be inconsistent with the intent of the Elk
River Crossing PUD in that, "signs must not be visually distracting or tend to
dominate by means of location, size, color or ligh~g."(italidzes added)
SITE
?AFDC
HOH/E
TO
River
Case Number:
Location Map
CU 03-18 WASH-N-FILL
IDENTI-GRAPHICS
8'660 ]ffJghway 7 Box 160
St. Bonifacius, NIn. 55375 Phone 952 446 1172 Fax 952 446 1717
INFORMATION
LIGHTING BACK LITE
48" FASCIA White panofl~r back tit 2 lam]5 row
24" FASCL4 red panoflex back lit. 1 lamp raw
7/8/2 0 0 3
7, 9 O0 candle power
500 candlepower
Information from LSI INDUSTRIES- 10000 Alliance rd. Cincinnati, Ohio
Frank Gessner 800-3 73 9887
(Holiday) canopy fascia system is more than three times
bri,qhter than the (Exxon) canopy fascia system.
LSI Industries is the manufacturer of both canopy fascia
systems.
Elk River Wash-N-Fill Express
Application For Conditional Use Permit Amendment
Dave Kroona (applicant), the new owner of Wash-N-Fill Express at 18296 Zane Street NW
(Highway 169 & Main Street) is requesting an amendment to the conditional use permit under
which he operates.
Dave Kroona recently purchased the Wash-N-Fill Express and desires to make improvements on
the site that will enhance its appearance and create the best possible buying experience for the
residents of Elk River and the general motoring public.
The first step in this process is to upgrade to a premium brand with an upscale brand image and
superior marketing programs. He has chosen the Exxon brand to accomplish this goal.
As a part of this upgrade to the Exxon image the following items were requested for consideration
by the planning staff:
1. New Monument Sign
2. (2) Tiger Disc Signs On The Building
3. Three Dimensional Illuminated Canopy Fascia
4. (3) Illuminated Exxon Logos On The Canopy
The planning staff informed Dave Kroona that the new monument sign and one illuminated Exxon
logo on the canopy could be approved through the normal sign permitting process and that the
additional items could only be considered by applying for an amendment to the conditional use
permit which is subject to planning commission & city council review.
As such, Dave Kroona is requesting an amendment to the conditional use permit that would allow
him to:
1. Install (2) Tiger Disc Signs On The Building
2. Install An Exxon Three Dimensional Illuminated Canopy Fascia On The Canopy
3. Install (3) Illuminated Exxon Logos On The Canopy Fascia
Install (2) Tiger Disc Signs On Building
This would allow for the display of the Exxon Tiger trademark on the building walls. It would also
add additional illumination to the building wall surfaces. This building does not have illuminated
building fascia like similar businesses in this area of Elk River. Adding the Tiger Discs would
alleviate some of the "dark zones" on the building wall surfaces.
Install Exxon Three Dimensional Illuminated Canopy Fascia
This is the best look in canopy fascia in the retail gasoline industry today. This fascia has a 24"
illuminated red band that is very gentle on the eyes. The band features the soft illumination of red
fabric over fluorescent tubes. These features provide an aesthetically pleasing accent to the
canopy fascia without offending the surrounding properties with light pollution in the form of glare
or unneeded spillover illumination. This is a completely different product and look than is installed
at some of the gasoline "bright" sites in Elk River that some people find offensive.
The current illuminated narrow red band that is underneath the canopy fascia will be eliminated.
Also, the illuminated large red ovals on the top of the gasoline dispensers will be removed. In
addition to the elimination of these illuminated items, the overall height of the canopy fascia will
be reduced from 48" to 36".
Install (3) Illuminated Exxon Logos On The Canopy Fascia
The Wash-N-Fill Express property has highway or streets adjacent to three of its sides. It has
Highway 169 to its West, Main Street to its North, and Zane Street to its East. It is impor[ant to
identify the site from all directions so that the consumer can easily make their buying decision.
Because the monument identification sign is, by its nature, Iow profile, it is not as visible to the
consumer as a pole sign would be. Furthermore, the huge Home Depot/Wal-mart sign towers
over the site and attracts most of the consumer's visual attention. Therefore, these requested
illuminated canopy trademarks are critical to adequately identify the site.
Thank you for your consideration.
"~ MAIN' STREET
PROPERTY CORNER
FALLS IN SE~EWALK \
PROPERTY CORNER
FALLS ON J'
TRANSFORMER
5
-_N 88~J9'16''
~ W~I
Io,-,In g Unit
Box
?l
E×ISTIN~
2
coUHTY~
~60. ~9
18298 Zone SL NW
EXISTING DRIVE- ~-IRU
CAR WASH BUILDING
1-STORY CONCRETE BLOCK
C
5O 0
36" Fascia
24" Red
12" White
32"x 90" Exxon
I. UE,~T ELEVATION ·
5' Circle
with Tiger
Canopy
36"x 118'
~1_1 I;llll I !
E.A~T EL 15'VATION
itUl~l!llTfl .....
. i Canopy
. ~ ..... ' 5' C~rcle /
% //_/~" '~;" ' - with Ti.qer /'/ U 36"x 55'
Express-24"1 116" ,,
Car Wash-34 x222
(~ 50LITI.-IU.,~ST ELEVATION - EXIT
Express - 24"x 116"
Car Wash - 34" x 222"
Elk River Wash-N-Fill Express
18296 Zane Street NW
E;~ON
127'
Elk River Wash-N-Fill
18296 Zane Street NW
27"
Elk River Wash-N.Fill Express
18296 Zane Street NW
E~O~
IDENTI-GRAPHICS
8660 Highway 7 Box 160
St. Bonifacius, Mn. 55375 ]Phone 952 446 I172 Fax 952 446 1717
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INFORMATION
LIGHTING BACK LITE
(4~" FASCL4 Vr~hite panoflex back lit 2 lamp row
4" FASCL4 redpanoflex back lig 1 lamp raw
7/8/2 0 0 3
7,900 candle power
2,500 candle power
Informat~'on from LSi INDUSTRIES- IO000 AIIiance rd Cincinnati, Ohio
Frank Gessner 800-373 9887
(Holiday) canopy fascia system is more than three times
brighter than the (Exxon) canopy fascia system.
LSi Industries is the manufacturer of both canopy fascia
systems.
We are proposing this......
E~ON
Exxon 3-D Illuminated
Not This......
CROIX OIL
comPlqnY
PESASUS ,'DISC_,
4' D1A~JE, ~R DIAME%R
P.N.600600
Croix Oil
USING {B) MID COM~ W/LED PRICING
98 Square Feet
CROIX OIL
comPt:lnY
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