18.115.150 Comprehensive sign plan.
A. An administrative use permit for comprehensive sign plan shall comply with the standards and submittal requirements as outlined below. A comprehensive sign plan is intended to provide for the establishment of signage criteria that are tailored to a specific development location, and which may vary from specific code provisions. The intent is to provide flexible sign criteria that promote superior design through architectural integration of the site, buildings and signs. A comprehensive sign plan shall demonstrate consistency and uniformity among all signs. Additionally, all signs with an approved comprehensive sign plan must have an approved zoning permit with the city and any additional permits as necessary.
B. The requirements of a comprehensive sign plan shall apply for any organization and/or development within a related project even if the properties have been subdivided. A comprehensive sign plan shall be evaluated based upon the following criteria:
1. Placement. All signs shall be placed where they are sufficiently visible and readable for their function. Factors to be considered shall include the purpose of the sign, its location relative to traffic movement and access points, site features and structures. In commercial centers in which some tenants are in locations having little or no street visibility, in order to provide identification, wall signs may be placed on walls of the building in which such tenants are located, even though not a wall of the space is occupied by those tenants.
2. Quantity. The number of signs that may be approved within any development shall not be greater than that required to provide project identification and entry signs, internal circulation and information to destinations and/or development sub-areas, and organization identification. Factors to be considered shall include the size of the development, the number of development sub-areas, and the division or integration of sign functions.
3. Size. All signs shall be no larger than necessary for visibility and readability. Factors to be considered in determining appropriate size shall include topography, amount of sign copy, placement of display (location and height), lettering style and the presence of distractive influences. Specific justification must be made if a request is submitted for a freestanding or wall sign to exceed by more than 25 percent any maximum height standard or by 50 percent any maximum area standard allowed in the regular ordinance.
4. Materials. Sign materials shall be compatible with architectural and/or natural features of the project. This may be accomplished through similarity of materials for sign structures and faces, the use of complementary colors, similarity of architectural style, or the use of a consistent lettering style or copy.
5. Context. The design of all signs should respect the context of the surrounding area and the character established by existing signage. Items to be considered include, but are not limited to, lettering style, sign placement, and architectural style.
6. Submittals. Three copies of the following should be submitted with the sign application to be reviewed by city staff and the planning and zoning commission. The specific submittal shall include at a minimum the following information:
a. Information regarding the color(s), material(s), type of sign (e.g., attached or detached), letter samples that are for all tenants, freestanding center identification signage, window signs, and any other information deemed necessary by the city to adequately review the comprehensive sign plan (both in a graphic and written format).
b. A justification letter describing the request and how the sign structure, materials, and colors are compatible with the project’s building architecture. Include a list in outline form of each sign requested, both freestanding and wall, to include verbiage, area in square feet, and height.
c. Preliminary site/landscape plan including property boundaries; dimensions; adjacent street right-of-way, existing and proposed; and street and sidewalk improvements, existing and proposed, noted to centerline. Show location of conceptual or existing landscape concepts including trees, shrubs, ground covers, berms, and screen walls.
d. Show location of proposed freestanding signs including dimensions, height, materials, colors, and method of illumination. Include elevations of buildings showing wall sign locations with dimensions.
C. Amendments. Applications for amendments to the comprehensive sign plan shall be processed in the same way as an original application. Revisions or amendments to the comprehensive sign plan shall require documentation from all tenants and/or property owners on the property prior to approval.
D. Minor Alterations. Minor alterations in sign locations resulting from unexpected conditions on site may be approved by the zoning administrator. [Res. 22-12; Ord. 22-03 § 2; Ord. 14-12 § 1; Res. 14-36 § 409.15.]