5.2 A,/
ITEM 5.2.
Sity of
ElkRl•
ver MEMORANDUM
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Kendra Lindahl, Zoning Assistant
DATE: June 25, 1996
SUBJECT: Variance Request by North Suburban
Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, Public
Hearing Case No. V 96-05
Request
The applicant is requesting a variance to exceed both the maximum
combined sign area and the maximum size of an individual sign in a C-1
zone.
• Location
501 Main Street NW, Suite # 102. Lot 1, 2, & 3, Block 14, Village of Elk
River.
Zoning/Land Use
C-1 (Central Commercial)/CB (Central Business)
Attachments
• Location Map
• Photos of Existing Signs
• Sign Drawings
• Denial of sign permit dated May 8, 1996
• Letters from Applicant
Background
North Suburban Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine is located in a C-1 zoning
district. In this zoning district, the sign ordinance allows:
"two (2) on premise business wall signs per occupancy, not to
• exceed one (1) square foot in combined sign area for each linear
foot of the building frontage up to a maximum accumulation of
13065 Orono Parkway • P.O. Box 490 • Elk River, MN 55330 • (612) 441-7420 • Fax: (612) 441-7425
Memo to the Planning Commission Page 2
June 25, 1996
• one hundred twenty-eight (128) square feet per occupancy.
Businesses shall be allowed at least thirty-two (32) square feet of
wall signage regardless of building dimensions. No individual
sign shall exceed sixty-four (64) square feet and no occupant shall
have more than one wall sign on a building face."
The applicant occupies an office with approximately 25 linear feet of frontage
on Gates Avenue NW. Frontage is defined by the ordinance as "the length of
an outside building wall facing the street or road on which it fronts." This
building is located on the corner of Main Street and Gates Avenue. This
property fronts on Gates Avenue, but it has a Main Street address.
Therefore, the property has only 25 feet of frontage. However, the rear of the
building is visible from Railroad Drive, and if you count frontage on both
Gates Avenue and Railroad Drive, the applicant would have 50 linear feet of
frontage. Based 50 feet of frontage, the applicant is allowed 50 square feet of
combined sign area in this zoning district.
The applicant is proposing 101.75 square feet in combined sign area. The
request is for a 74.25 square foot sign over the front entrance and a 27.5
square foot sign over the rear entrance.
• The applicant is requesting a 51.75 square foot variance to exceed the
maximum square feet of combined sign area and a 10.25 square foot variance
from the maximum of 64 square feet for an individual sign to allow for the
74.25 square foot sign over the front entrance. The proposed signs are
lighted cabinet signs which are the approximate size of the existing signs,
and they will conform with the signage on other Allina Medical Group
facilities.
If we assume that the property has 50 linear feet of frontage, the following
signage would be allowed in other zoning districts:
* If this building were located in a C-2 zoning district, the applicant would
only be allowed one wall sign with a maximum sign area of 50 square feet.
* In a C-3 zoning district, the applicant would be allowed 3 wall signs with
a total sign area not to exceed 100 square feet.
* If this office was located in Elk Park Center in a multi-tenant building,
they would be allowed one sign on the front of the building. Elk Park
Center requires that wall signs be individual letters, not cabinet style as
proposed for North Suburban Orthopaedics. If this sign were proposed in
Elk Park Center with individual letters, the one sign over the front
entrance would be allowed, but the rear sign would be denied.
•
s:\planning\kendra\v96-05.doc
Memo to the Planning Commission Page 3
June 25, 1996
• This property currently has a legal non-conforming sign. However, the
ordinance clearly states that all new signs must meet the current ordinance.
When MSI Insurance, which is located in the same building as North
Suburban Orthopaedics, put a new sign up in January 1994, they were
required to meet the sign ordinance. MSI Insurance now has two wall signs
with a total sign area of 36 square feet.
Staff offered several alternatives to the applicant which would not require a
variance:
1. Leave the sign as it is because the only change is the addition of
"Allina Medical Group".
2. Keep the existing "North Suburban Orthopaedics and Sports
Medicine" sign and just add "Allina Medical Group" underneath in
the same style letters.
3. Place two smaller cabinet signs on the building. Staff suggested
using two signs of similar size as the sign proposed for the rear
entrance. The rear entrance sign is 27.5 square feet. Two signs of
that size would equal 55 square feet of combined sign area. The
applicant is allowed 50 square feet of combined sign area, and staff
believes we could work with the applicant on that additional 5
square feet.
• 4. Staff suggested that the applicant place one 50 square foot sign
over the front entrance and no signage over the rear entrance. The
property must be accessed off of Gates Avenue, and therefore, the
rear entrance may be less important to sign.
Variance
This property is subject to the normal standards found in section 900.40 of
the Elk River Ordinance which states that a variance may only be granted if
it meets these five conditions:
1) That the literal enforcement of the ordinance would cause undue
(unnecessary, unavoidable, extreme) hardship.
2) That the hardship caused by special conditions and circumstances
which are peculiar to the land and structure involved and which are
not characteristic of, or applicable to, other lands or structures in the
same district.
3) That the literal application of the provisions of this Ordinance would
deprive the petitioner of rights enjoyed by other properties in the same
district under the terms of this Ordinance.
4) That the special conditions and circumstances are not a consequence of
• the petitioner's own action or inaction.
s:\planning\ke ndra\v96-05.doc
Memo to the Planning Commission Page 4
June 25, 1996
• 5) That the variance will not be injurious to or adversely affect the
health, safety or welfare of the residents of the City or the
neighborhood wherein the property is situated and will be in keeping
with the spirit and intent of the Ordinance.
In staffs opinion, this request does not meet those five conditions.
Recommendation
Staff recommends denial of the variance based on the following findings:
Findings
1. Enforcement of the ordinance will not cause undue hardship to the
applicant. The applicant is allowed the same amount of signage as all
other properties in the C-1 zoning district.
2. All other property owners in this district must meet the same sign
requirements. In staffs opinion, there is no unique circumstance which
would require that this property be granted a signage variance.
• 3. The applicant has several signage options that would not require a
variance.
4. MSI insurance received a sign permit in 1994 for two 18 square foot signs
for a total combined sign area of 36 square feet. North Suburban
Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine should be held to the same standard as
other residents the East Main Professional building.
•
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36.2
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city of
Elk •
River
May 8, 1996
Gregory Fast
Nordquist Sign Company, Inc.
312 West Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55408
RE: Sign permit application for North Suburban Orthopaedics &
Sports Medicine
Dear Mr. Fast:
As I indicated during our phone conversation this afternoon, the City of Elk
River is denying your sign permit application based on the following:
• 1. The Elk River Sign Ordinance allows a total sign area of one (1) square
foot per linear foot of the building frontage. According to the site plan
submitted, North Suburban Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine has
approximately 21 feet of building frontage. If we assume that the facility
has double frontage, this allows 42 square feet of sign area. You have
requested 104.25 square feet, which is more than twice the allowable sign
area.
2. The Sign Ordinance also states that no one sign shall exceed 64 square
feet. The proposed sign over the main entrance is 74.25 square feet,
which exceeds the guidelines by over 10 feet.
3. The existing sign is a non-conforming use because of its size. This use is
allowed until replacement of the sign is required, as it is now, and then
the new sign must meet the ordinance requirements.
Enclosed you will find your sign application and check for $60.00. If you have
any additional questions, please contact me at 441-4917.
Sincerely,
• `_ ,
r
Kendra Lindahl
Zoning Assistant
13065 Orono Parkway • P.O. Box 490 • Elk River, MN 55330 • (612) 441-7420 • Fax: (612) 441-7425
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NORDQUISTli
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•
June 17, 1996
Ms. Kendra Lindahl
City of Elk River
13065 Orono Parkway
Elk River, MN 55330
Dear Kendra:
I am writing to notify you of North Suburban Orthopedics and Sports Medicine's
intent to seek City Council approval for a variance to install two new signs.
The designs are simple, clean, and respectful of the city requirements. The
graphic layout and colors are in accordance with the facilities affiliation with the
Allina Medical Group and their sixty other clinic locations.
• The new signs will be of similar size to the existing signs on the building. The
new signs have a bit more graphic area than the existing signs. Because of this
we feel it is important that we maintain a similar letter height to the existing signs
to allow the signs to be readable for the patients of the clinic..
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
If you have any questions regarding this proposed signage. I am available to
answer any questions you may have.
Sincerely,
)0,NORDfUI GN COMPANY
i ,....---
e ry m. Fast
GRF/leo
III
NORDOUIST SIGN COMPANY INC.
3 1 2 WEST LAKE STREET MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 5 5 4 0 8 TELEPHONE 6 1 2 8 2 3 7 2 9 1 FAX 6 1 2 8 2 4 6 2 1 1
ESTABLISHED 1904
NORDQUIST
•
June 17, 1996
Ms. Kendra Lindahl
City of Elk River
13065 Orono Parkway
Elk River, MN 55330
Dear Kendra:
Per your request, the linear footage of The North Suburban Orthopedics Office
Building is 50 feet.
• Please call me if you require further information.
Sincerely,
NORDQUIST SIGN COMPANY
. //'
e:••ry R. Fast
GRF/leo
NORDQUIST SIGN COMPANY INC.
3 1 2 WEST LAKE STREET MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 5 5 4 0 8 TELEPHONE 6 1 2 8 2 3 7 2 9 1 FAX 6 1 2 8 2 4 6 2 1 1
ESTABLISHED 1904
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