PRESENTER: Presenter
Christopher J. Looney, AICP, Planning and Development Services Director
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SUBJECT: Title
Discuss and consider a request for a conditional sign permit to allow one electronic message sign on the property addressed at 710 Landa St.
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DEPARTMENT: Planning and Development Services
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COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: 3
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Case #: CS22-0540
Applicant: Comal County Senior Citizens Foundation
Ken Lowry, Director
710 Landa St
New Braunfels, TX 78130
klowery@nbsenior.org
Property Owner: Comal County Senior Citizens Foundation
710 Landa St
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Staff Contact: Colton Barker
(830) 221-4274
cbarker@newbraunfels.gov
The subject property is approximately 1.96 acres located on the north side of Landa Street, zoned C-1, Local Business District, and is currently used as the Comal County Senior Center, formerly the YMCA, with approximately 328 feet of frontage along Landa Street.
New Braunfels’ Sign Ordinance allows sign types and sizes based upon the zoning district and specific street frontage. Due to the property’s existing zoning and frontage, the subject property is allowed the following signage:
• 1 Freestanding Monument Sign
o 32 square feet, 8 feet tall in height, 10-foot setback OR;
• 1 Low Profile Pole Sign
o 20 square feet, 6 feet tall in height, 10-foot setback
Surrounding Zoning and Land Use:
|
North |
ZH-A |
Single Family Residences |
|
South |
Across Landa St, M-1 |
commercial medical clinics & previous location of Comal County Senior Center |
|
East |
C-1 |
commercial medical clinics |
|
West |
C-1 |
commercial medical clinics |
ISSUE:
The Comal County Senior Center is requesting to relocate their existing electronic message sign from their former location at 655 Landa Street to the subject property and utilize the existing two-column pole sign (approximately 325 feet between existing and proposed sign locations). The current sign ordinance does not allow electronic message signs in the C-1 zoning district. The applicant’s existing electronic message sign is located on the south side of Landa Street within the M-1 zoning district which does allow electronic message signs.
The applicant is proposing one electronic message pole sign at 710 Landa Street; per the current sign ordinance, this would be in lieu of any other freestanding or monument signs. The requirements for the zoning district located on the south side of Landa Street (M-1) that allows electronic message signs, allow the maximum sign area for electronic message pole signs to be 20 square feet. The proposed electronic message pole sign is approximately 36 square feet, exceeding the maximum allowable sign area in M-1 by 16 square feet (80%).
The City’s current sign ordinance states, “the area of a sign shall be computed as the entire advertising area of the sign, including any framing or trim, contained within the respective sign cabinet. For the purposes of this computation the sign cabinet shall be defined as the structure or border used to differentiate a sign face from the structure against which a sign face is placed.” (CONB 106-15(1)(a)).
The proposed electronic message sign:
• Overall sign face is approximately 36 square-feet in area
• Overall sign height of approximately 8 feet, 4 inches, and
• Set back of approximately 13 feet from the property line.
The Conditional Sign Permit process is intended to:
1. allow an applicant flexibility in creating alternative signage designs to complement a development’s unique characteristics.
2. increase sign area and/or height in lieu of multiple signs they would otherwise be allowed; and/or
3. allow additional signage due to unusual constraints associated with the property.
Through this process, City Council can consider such requests within the context of a specific location.
FISCAL IMPACT:
A waiver of conditional sign permit application fees was granted to the Comal County Senior Citizens Foundation by City Council on February 27, 2023.
RECOMMENDATION:
Approval with a condition. Land use along Landa Street is largely non-residential where the properties on the south side of Landa Street are allowed to have electronic message signs and the majority of the properties on the north side are not. Much of the signage along this portion of Landa Street was constructed before the adoption of the current sign ordinance and share a similar structural design of masonry pillars or borders encasing a sign face meeting the current sign code’s definition of a pole sign, not a monument sign. The existing 2-column pole sign was previously used as signage for YMCA and has remained vacant of a sign face since at least 2017.
The existing electronic message sign is proposed to be relocated approximately 325 feet away from its current location and will match the characteristics of existing signage along this corridor by utilizing the existing pole sign frame, not altering the overall character of the Landa Street corridor once moved.
If approved, the electronic message pole sign will meet all additional criteria for electronic message pole signs in the sign ordinance Section 106-14(c) including illumination limits (see below), animation parameters, special effects standards, dimmer controls, and background colors.
“Illumination. Electronic signage shall not exceed a maximum of one foot-candle illumination at the property line.”
Staff recommends approval of the request in accordance with all current code requirements for electronic message signs, and with the following condition in consideration of the surrounding neighborhood:
• No off-premises advertising will be allowed on the electronic message/digital sign.
RESOURCE LINKS:
• Chapter 106 Sign Ordinance, Sec 106-8(d) Conditional Sign Permit:
<https://library.municode.com/tx/new_braunfels/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH106SI_S106-8VAAP>
• Chapter 106 Sign Ordinance, Sec 106-14(a) Sign Dimensional Standards:
<https://library.municode.com/tx/new_braunfels/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH106SI_S106-14PEEMSIRE>
• Chapter 106 Sign Ordinance, Sec 106-14(c) Electronic Message Sign: <https://library.municode.com/tx/new_braunfels/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH106SI_S106-14PEEMSIRE>