REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 04/19/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning & Development Department
SUBJECT:
Title
SPECIFIC PLAN AMENDMENT 2022-0008 TO THE DOS LAGOS SPECIFIC PLAN TO AMEND THE SIGN REGULATIONS FOR FREEWAY-ORIENTED PYLON SIGNS AND MONUMENT SIGNS FOR COMMERCIAL CENTERS 20 ACRES IN SIZE OR LARGER (APPLICANT: BRAVO WHISKEY PROPERTIES, LLC & DOS LAGOS SQUARED, LLC)
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to approve Specific Plan Amendment 2022-0008 to the Dos Lagos Specific Plan to amend the sign regulations in Section 4.3.6 for freeway-oriented pylon signs and monument signs for commercial centers 20 acres in size or larger. The amendment will allow freeway pylon signs and monument signs to be updated to implement advancement in current technology by allowing electronic sign displays.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Approve Specific Plan Amendment 2022-0008, as recommended by the Planning and Housing Commission.
b. Introduce, by title only, and waive full reading of Ordinance No. 3368, first reading of an ordinance approving an amendment to the Dos Lagos Specific Plan (Sp-99-03) to amend the Sign Regulations in Section 4.3.6(a)(1) and (2) to increase the size of the digital display area of permitted freeway-oriented pylon signs and monument signs for commercial centers 20 acres in size or larger (SPA2022-0008).
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The applicants, Bravo Whiskey Properties, LLC & Dos Lagos Squared, LLC propose to amend the sign regulations for the Commercial (C) and Entertainment Commercial (EC) Districts within the Dos Lagos Specific Plan (SP-99-03). The Shops at Dos Lagos retail center is located on the west side of Temescal Canyon Road, and north of Dos Lagos Drive, and has frontage along Interstate 15 (I-15) freeway. The amendment would allow modifications to the existing signs located along the site’s freeway frontage and Temescal Canyon Road.
The proposed amendment and subsequent sign improvements will replace existing static sign panels with digital displays. The intent is to provide more flexibility and visibility to Dos Lagos tenants from Temescal Canyon Road or the freeway. The lack of visibility from Temescal Canyon Road is simply due to the size and design of the shopping center; and the lack of visibility from the freeway is caused by the fact that the center is significantly lower than the grade of the freeway.
The Planning and Housing Commission at its meeting on March 20, 2023, reviewed Specific Plan Amendment 2022-0008 (SPA2022-0008) and recommended approval to the City Council.
Existing Signage
The center extends over two commercial zones within the Dos Lagos Specific Plan. The northern half of the center is zoned Entertainment Commercial (EC), and the southern half is zone Commercial (C). Signage for both zones is regulated by Section 4.3.6 of the Dos Lagos Specific Plan.
Currently, the center has the following types of parcel identification signs:
• Two (2) Pylon signs along I-15 Freeway.
• Seven (7) Monument signs along I-15 Freeway.
• Four (4) Monument signs along Temescal Canyon Road.
The pylon and monument signs constructed along I-15 have static sign panels that advertise the name of the center and some of the tenants. In addition to the static panels, the north pylon sign also includes a 300-square-foot electronic message center, which is the maximum size allowed.
The north pylon sign has an overall sign area of 712 square feet, including the electronic message center. The south pylon sign has a sign area of 652 square feet. Both signs are approximately 55 feet tall. These signs comply with the Specific Plan’s sign regulations, which allow up to 750 square feet in area, and a maximum height of 60 feet.
The seven freeway monument signs have a sign area of approximately 130 square feet each, and a height of approximately 17 feet. These signs comply with the Specific Plan’s regulations, which allow up to 175 square feet of area and a maximum height of 17 feet.
The monument signs that are constructed along Temescal Canyon Road currently advertise only the name of the center, as per the sign regulations. There are a total of four signs that have heights ranging from four feet to 4.5 feet. The overall sign area of each sign does not exceed 75 square feet.
ANALYSIS:
SPA2022-0008 will amend Section 4.3.6, Signage Standards (C) and (EC), of the Dos Lagos Specific Plan. The amendments to this section is shown below with the deleted text in red with a strikethrough; and added text in blue and underlined.
“Section 4.3.6 Signage Standards (C) and (EC)
A. Major Commercial Center Identification Signs (For centers 20 acres in size or larger):
1. Freeway Oriented Signs: Freeway oriented signs for commercial centers are allowed in the following manner.
a. Centers located adjacent to the freeway are allowed to have up to three freeway oriented pylon signs. The pylons signs shall not exceed a height of 60 feet, and a maximum copy face area of 750 square feet. The pylon signs shall be limited to a maximum seven (7) eleven (11) static copy tenant spaces on each sign. An electronic sign display is allowed on any of the freeway-oriented pylons signs provided that the electronic display area shall not exceed 300 672 square feet in digital copy face area and in no case shall the entire sign exceed 750 square feet in copy face area.
b. Centers located adjacent to the freeway are allowed to have up to eight (8) freeway-oriented monument signs. The monument signs shall be limited to three four (4) tenant spaces. The total copy sign area shall not exceed 175 225 square feet and shall not exceed a height of 17 feet.
c. All freeway signs shall be of high quality having attractive architecture.
2. Monument Signs: Monument signs for commercial centers are allowed in the following manner.
a. Project identification monument signs are allowed at every driveway opening to the commercial center. These signs shall not may advertise tenants and shall only advertise the name of the center. The ultimate locations of the monument signs shall be approved through the project’s sign program.
b. All monument signs shall be located outside of the visibility triangle for driveways and streets. Monument signs located along Temescal Canyon Road shall have a minimum unobstructed visibility triangle of not less than 20 feet on each side.
c. Monument signs shall not exceed an overall height of 6.6 10 feet.
d. Monument signs, not including the architecture features and base, shall not exceed an overall copy area of 135 175 square feet. The copy area can be static copy and/or electronic message centers.”
Proposed Sign Program
The applicant has prepared a sign program based on the proposed amendment. The new signs show a 660-square-foot electronic message center for the freeway pylon signs, which is less than the proposed sign area limit of 672 square feet. The freeway monument signs are proposed with a sign area of 172 square feet, which is less than the proposed sign area limit of 225 square feet. The monument signs along Temescal Canyon Road include new electronic displays, which have sign areas ranging from approximately 74 to 155 square feet, which are all less than the proposed sign area limit of 175 square feet.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The applicant paid the application processing fees of $5,659.28 to cover the cost of the Specific Plan Amendment.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15301 (Class 1, Existing Facilities) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states an operation of an existing structure involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the CEQA determination is exempt from CEQA. This project is a text amendment to the Dos Lagos Specific Plan to allow for minor alterations in the development standards for signage, which will accommodate technological upgrades (digital copy) to existing on-premise monument and pylon signs for commercial centers 20 acres in size or larger. The proposed changes will involve negligible expansion of use from that already authorized by the Dos Lagos Specific Plan. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION ACTION:
At its meeting of March 20, 2023, the Planning and Housing Commission considered the subject matter and took the following action:
Motion was made, seconded (Alexander/Meza) and carried unanimously, find the project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, and recommend approval of SPA2022-0008 to the City Council, based on the findings contained in the staff report and conditions of approval, with the added condition: The electronic message center signs along Interstate 15 and Temescal Canyon Road shall be automatically dimmed during the nighttime hours. In addition, the electronic message center monument signs along Temescal Canyon Road shall have a label or plaque with property management contact information for the public to contact regarding EMC glare complaints. The minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting are included as Exhibit 3.
PREPARED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - City Ordinance No. 3368
2. Exhibit 2 - Planning and Housing Commission staff report
3. Exhibit 3 - Draft minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting of March 20, 2023