HomeMy WebLinkAboutDept Report CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
DEPARTMENT REPORT
NOVEMBER 26, 2012
5-9. (V) Tom O'Brien—Signage
The applicant seeks the following development standards variance approvals:
Docket No. 12100007 V Ch. 25.07.02-08 b) Number of signs (9 proposed,6 allowed)
Docket No. 12100008 V Ch. 25.07.02-08 c) Total square footage(459.39 sq.ft. prop.,306.20 sq.ft. allowed)
Docket No. 12100009 V Ch. 25.07.02-08 b) Number of signs facing a ROW south(6 prop.,3 allowed)
Docket No. 12100010 V Ch. 25.07.02-08 b) Number of signs not facing a ROW west(2 prop., 1 allowed)
Docket No. 12100011 V Ch. 25.07.02-08 d) Ground sign height(8' proposed,6' allowed)
The site is located at 4630 E. 96th St. It is zoned B-3.
Filed by Kevin Buchheit and Paul Reis of Krieg DeVault on behalf of Tom O'Brien Holdings, LLC
L. �:,' P ��"` �t ;; �,�1 _�.{'`',1µ�� �,3x .y General Info:
a' # r p r j,,, s �,L.k• _; The Petitioner requests variance approvals for new
A i rr ,-i q , ..!!.1„,,:,,i;.,,,.9.,,,:?,,{. r' , 4,'.' signage for their site. New corporate branding and the
° 1,'l ccr+=uttiut is " x, t, ^r„e,i q t tc ,., ."`: addition of two new brands are driving the need for
w fi4� 1l," � � -� ;. � :11="4i fi 4 1,,I, variances. Please see the petitioner's information
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f4 Rjy � .' - i; ¢l 4z� � A ;1:4L1 packet for more details.
V', , ' �, " P Tom O'Brien 1 ;, Analysis:
,East 98th dealership 1 i '' The Petitioner is requesting nine sins when six signs
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4, r� , auto Park . ..,_ , ,.- a ' ' j-� are currently allowed by previous variance approvals.
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1 t 2 .2M ; " :7;:'f,,-: iR� r ' + The addition of three wall signs is requiring the 1 ` ^'" d'� d Petitioner to go over the allowable number of signs.
Tom Wood n. : y g g
1 dealership `_ 3 + ' ssv Two signs are for the new Dodge and Ram brands that
4. '1 '. a „ ,' °' ' !,i' this dealership will now carry. The third wall sign is to
' S�' � *> , °° ' a0 , identify the service center. Other existing signs will be
„ 4 '-';t ^t altered or removed to come into compliance with Sign
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:' ;` -,t; . l°?4 . „; g Ordinance regulations and brand updating requirements
1# _ti il ' i ,"fi -,: `�' ••,.k` 4 for the dealership. The Department is supportive of the
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f .1' + „ p 1 ,,;i t i; 41111' rig 3 additional three signs for the site
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- 4,,,,. xkr. : _° ,1 The total square footage proposed is over by 153.19
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square feet. This is largely due to the addition of a
96th r �, Service sign at 105.42 square feet on the west elevation
,� ''',•, ..: 96 Street . . � 1 �• :
1. g,; ,, � . :; : t,.,_. 1 of the building. Most of the main wall signs on the
south elevation are decreasing in size,thus justifying
the additional wall signs. These signs end up offsetting the square footage that is currently there. The Department is
supportive of going over the allowed square footage to accommodate the new brands. However,the Department is not
supportive of going over by so much square footage for one Service center sign. The Department recommends splitting
this variance into two parts: A) square footage for other identification signs and B) square footage for Service center
signs.
Six signs are proposed to face south.Currently only three signs face south on this parcel This is to accommodate the new
brands on the south elevation of the building and a new ground sign along 96th Street. There is an existing ground sign to
the west on the Tom Wood site where Tom O'Brien has some of the square footage. This is proposed to be handed back
over to Tom Wood,in order to justify the new ground sign on the Petitioner's parcel. The Department is supportive of the
additional signs facing south.
The sign not facing a right-of-way (west)is for the new service sign. It is proposed to replace two less than three square
feet service signs over each entry door. The proposed square footage is 105.42. This sign is much larger than most of the
main wall signs along the south elevation of the building. While this sign will mostly be hidden behind building insets, the
Department feels this sign is too large for its secondary purpose to the site and is not in support of the sign. The
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directional signs along the driveway into the site are adequate to identify where the service center is located. A smaller
Service sign and perhaps even window signs would work to further advertise the new Mopar name. The Department
would be more supportive of a smaller wall sign or even a Directory type sign at 20 square feet, showing customers the
way to the Service center.
The new ground sign is proposed at eight feet tall. Only six feet is allowed. This ground sign will help give additional
identification to drivers along 96th Street and also help separate it from the two other Tom Wood dealerships in this
complex. While the Department is supportive of the additional sign, we are not supportive of the eight foot height—
without adding the Dealership name to the sign. Also, the address of the building should be somewhere on this ground
sign.
Outstanding comments/questions for the Petitioner:
1. Will the existing Tom O'Brien/Tom Wood shared ground sign remain and be refaced as suggested by documents
turned in with the application?Or is this signage being removed and the space given to Tom Wood?
2. The proposed new ground sign lacks the dealership name in the design. Please revise this design to include the
Tom O'Brien name.
3. Please provide a drawing showing the new ground sign superimposed onto the site.
4. The Department believes that the Jeep and Ram signs on the south face of the building are too large in
comparison to Tom O'Brien. Tom O'Brien should be the focus of the south elevation and these two additional
signs take away from that. Please reduce the size of the Jeep and Ram signs.
5. Please confirm if and when the red"cursive"Tom O'Brien names on the west and east elevations of the building
will be changed to match the new font going on the south face of the building.
6. How will the directional signs on the site incorporate the additional Dodge and Ram brand names? Please provide
drawings of the new sign designs.
7. Will the"cursive"Tom O'Brien logo be changed on the directional signs?If so, please provide drawings for our
review.
8. When will the Dodge banners be removed?These signs are illegal without sign permit approval. If the Petitioner
needs them to remain until the new signs are made, please submit sign permit applications so they may remain
legally.
9. Please note that ADLS Amendment is also required for the design and placement of the new signage.
Findings of Fact: Service Center Sign
1. The approval of these variances will be injurious to the public health,safety,morals,and general welfare of
the community because: the proposed sign is excessive in size and unnecessary for proper identification. It will
not be visible from the main street;therefore it does not need to be as large as proposed to be seen from far away.
The purpose of the sign is to identify to its patrons where the entrance to the service center is.The current, smaller
signs achieve this goal at a much smaller scale.
2. The use and value of the area adjacent to the property included in the variance will be affected in a
substantially adverse manner because: The proposed size of the Service sign is unnecessarily large compared to
other service center signs in the area. Most other signs are small,perhaps 30 square feet or less. Others that are
larger only have one identification sign on their main elevation, compared to five proposed signs for this location.
This larger sign would give the Petitioner an advantage over the other dealerships in identifying their service
centers.
3. The strict application of the terms of the Zoning Ordinance to the property will not result in practical
difficulties in the use of the property because: Currently the site has directional signs and identification signs
above the entrances to the service area that comply with the Sign Ordinance. The Department believes these signs
are adequate in identifying the service center.
Findings of Fact: all other Identification Signs
1. The approval of these variances will not be injurious to the public health,safety,morals, and general
welfare of the community because: the automobile dealership site is located in the busy retail commercial area
along East 96th Street.The additional signage is necessary in order to adequately identify the dealership for new
and existing customers and vendors and to allow them to make safe and efficient vehicle turning decisions from
96th Street into the site and,once on the site,to easily locate the various services offered by the dealership. The
additional signage promotes the public health, safety and general welfare of the customers, prospective customers,
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vendors and the general public by providing identification and direction when entering, leaving and moving about
the site.
2. The use and value of the area adjacent to the property included in the variance will not be affected in a
substantially adverse manner because: The site is situated in the midst of sites with similar uses and
development both north and south of East 96th Street.The surrounding uses shield the site from the nearest
residential uses in all directional, so there is no impact to residential property. The additional signage is necessary
for the continued success of the dealership, which enhances the value of the site and will have no effect or impact
on the use and value of the other properties adjacent to this property.
3. The strict application of the terms of the Zoning Ordinance to the property will result in practical
difficulties in the use of the property because: With the reorganization of the Chrysler Corporation,the
branding and signage for Chrysler dealerships has been updated. The proposed new sign package and the
requested variances to implement the proposed new signage are necessary to allow the O'Brien dealership to meet
the requirements for authorized dealers of the Chrysler,Jeep, Dodge, and Ram vehicle brands. The strict
application of the terms of the Zoning Ordinance will preclude the dealership form meeting these requirements
and result in significant difficulties in the use and operation of the property as an authorized Chrysler dealership.
Recommendation:
After all comments and concerns have been addressed, the Dept. of Community Services recommends approval of
Docket No. 12100007 V, 12100008 A.V, 12100009 V, and 12100011 V. The Department of Community Services
recommends denial of Docket No. 12100008 B.V and 12100010 V.
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