HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes BZA 11-25-13 Hearing Officer Special meeting (:',0 OF CA/4-N,
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Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals
Special Hearing Officer
Monday, November 25, 2013 Meeting
6:30 p.m.
Council Chambers, Carmel City Hall
Meeting called to order at 7:51 p.m. (following regular BZA meeting)
Present: James Hawkins, Hearing Officer
Connie Tingley, Recording Secretary
Staff Members: Alexia Donahue-Wold, Planning Administrator
Legal Counsel: John Molitor
Legal Counsel Report: "
John Molitor:
• Full Board of Zoning Appeals agreed to suspend the rules to reduce the number of Public
Notices required for Agenda Items 1-3, Rama Car Wash, Signage
Public Hearing:
1-3. (V)Rama Car Wash,Signage.
The applicant seeks the following development standards variance approval for new signage:
Docket No. 13100025 V ZO CH: 25.07.02-03 b) 1. Number of Signs (2 requested, 1
allowed)
Docket No. 13100026 V ZO CH: 25.07.02-03 b)2. Two signs facing one ROW(2
requested,allowed)
Docket No. 13100027 V ZO CH: 25.07.02-06 b) 1 Menu board per restaurant
establishment
The site is located at 431 E Carmel Drive. The site is zoned B-8/Business. Filed by Tony
Viduya, of Rama Car Wash.
Present for Petitioner:
Tony Viduya, Rama Car Wash
• Requesting monument and awning signs
o Customers requesting better signage to identify business
• Hard time locating business as they drive by on Carmel Drive
• Speed on Carmel Drive
• Trees at Flanner & Buchanan Funeral Home
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Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals
Special Hearing Officer Meeting
November 25,2013
• Second sign on building will help with identification
• Other area businesses have two signs facing Carmel Drive
o Can remove "Rama"from wall sign to be near 30 square feet
• Asking for drive-thru menu board comparable to drive-thru restaurants
o Larger than permitted three square feet
o Brick under menu board will match building
• Approval of signs will be not injurious to public health, safety and welfare
o Signs will be in same design as trade area
o Signs will be standard, tasteful signs
o Menu board will be in back of property
• Barely visible from street
o Text on awning will be sized accordingly
• Practical difficulty is hardship for customers to identify building as driving by
• Required menu board under Ordinance is too small to be read
Public Hearing closed.
Department Report:
Alexia Donahue-Wold
• Sign Ordinance allows for one sign per public street frontage
o Proposed ground sign is 26.8 square feet
o Requested awning sign is 13.3 square feet
o Per Sign Ordinance, 30 square feet permitted for site
• Department supports number of signs if they can reduce size of awning
sign
• Awning could say "Car Wash"
• Reducing size to close to 30 square feet
• Department supports two signs facing one public street
o Building sets back from street; harder to see
• Menu board sign is only permitted for restaurants
o Ordinance does not take into account drive-thru car washes
o Department supports this variance as it will be within square footage for menu
board
o Petitioner has agreed to construct base to match building
Department recommended approval of all variances if square footage for signage is close to
30 square feet.
Discussion:
• Department would like square footage for signs to be no more than a couple feet over 30
square feet
• To save cost, Petitioner prefers to go with awning sign instead of wall sign
o Blue awning is identifier for business
• Monument sign is already on property
o Will be re-faced
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Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals
Special Hearing Officer Meeting
November 25,2013
o Open to reducing size of text on monument sign
• Petitioner feels awning sign less than three square feet would be counter-productive to
keep total under 30 square feet
o Prefer 18 to 24 inch letters for awning with "Rama" removed
o Could make logo smaller and "Car Wash" larger
o "Car Wash"portion is about three square feet
• Currently letters are 7.25 inches
• Would prefer 18 to 24 inches to be visible from street
• 18 inches would make sign about 8 square feet
• 35 square feet would be acceptable
Action: Mr. Hawkins APPROVED Docket Nos. 13100025 V through 13100027 V, Rama
Car Wash, for number of signs (2 requested, 1 allowed); two signs facing one right-of-way (2
requested, 1 allowed) and one Menu board per restaurant establishment with Conditions: 1)
Menu board should have a base that is constructed of a masonry material to match the design of
the building and 2) 35 square feet total for two signs facing one right-of-way.
Adjournment
The Hearing Officer adjourned the meeting at 8:06 p.m..
Approved this 2 r day of Je'/KL1.- i y 20 J'
aring Officer—James Hawkins Secretary—Co lie Ti (_ley
File: 11.25.2013 special hearing officer.doc
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