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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/9/2001D 1 MINUTES OF THE CITY OF DIAMOND BAR REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OCTOBER 9, 2001 CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Zirbes called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. in the South Coast Air Quality Management Auditorium, 21865 East Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, California. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Vice Chairman Ruzicka led in the Pledge of Allegiance. 1. ROLL CALL: Present: Chairman Bob Zirbes, Vice Chairman Joe Ruzicka, and Commissioners George Kuo, Steve Nelson and Steve Tye. Also Present: James DeStefano, Deputy City Manager, Ann Lungu, Associate Planner, Linda Smith, Development Services Assistant, and Stella Marquez, Administrative Secretary. 2. MATTERS FROM THE AUDIENCE/PUBLIC COMMENTS: None offered. 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: As Presented. 4. CONSENT CALENDAR: 4.1 Minutes of the Regular Meeting of September 25, 2001. VC/Ruzicka moved, C/Tye seconded, to approve the minutes for the regular September 25, 2001, meeting as presented. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: NOES: COMMISSIONERS: ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: 5. OLD BUSINESS: None Kuo, Nelson, Tye, VC/Ruzicka, Chair/Zirbes None None OCTOBER 9, 2001 PAGE 2 PLANNING COMMISSION 6. NEW BUSINESS: 6.1 Discussion regarding the City's current 30 percent lot coverage requirement. AssocP/Lungu presented staff's report. The Commission engaged in a lengthy discussion. Richard Malooly said that one of his clients engaged a contractor to draw out a 192 square foot addition off of his family room only to find out that it could not be built because of the 30 percent lot coverage restriction. He asked the Commission to come up with a formula that would allow staff to determine the feasibility of additions. For instance, the square footage of the driveway could be eliminated as part of the footprint. Expanding upon Mr. Malooly's statement, Chair/Zirbes suggested that staff devise a formula that allows for additions not to exceed more than 10 percent of the current building structure. C/Tye asked staff to provide a matrix that includes information regarding total square footage of requests for additions. In some cases, elimination of the driveway square footage would provide allowance for structural additions. He believes the formula should be fair and balanced, not punitive, and does not burden staff. 7. CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARINGS: None 8. PUBLIC HEARING: 8.1 Development Code Amendment No. 2001-02, Conditional Use Permit No. 2001-06 and Comprehensive Sign Program 2000-02 (pursuant to Code Sections 22.36.120.C. and 22.36.080 is a request to permit freeway -oriented signs that feature an electronic reader board with a maximum 65 foot height a maximum total sign face area of 1,000 square feet for freeway oriented development complexes within the C-3 zone. Additionally, the proposed Development Code Amendment will allow freeway -oriented wall signs with a maximum sign face area of 300 square feet and monument signs with a maximum 12 foot height and a maximum sign face area of 55 square feet for the freeway -oriented development complexes within the C-3 zone. The Planning Commission is charged with making a recommendation to the City Council for the proposed request. PROJECT ADDRESS: Commercial development complexes within C-3 zone adjacent to the freeway APPLICANT: City of Diamond Bar OCTOBER 9, 2001 PAGE 3 PLANNING COMMISSION AssocP/Lungu presented staff's report. Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt a resolution recommending City Council approval of Development Code Amendment No. 2001-02 and Negative Declaration No. 2001-03. C/Tye spoke against changing the City's Development Code to include electronic reader boards. Chair/Zirbes talked about the possibility of eliminating signs within 1000 feet of residential property. Chair/Zirbes opened the public hearing. Rod Wilson, Owner, Electric -Media, Inc., explained how other cities have handled this type of ordinance. Mr. Wilson responded to C/Nelson that the distance of the reader board placed in Huntington Beach was 1000 feet from residential property. The 1000 foot limitation prevented other reader boards in that city. He could not recall the total number of acres for which the sign was approved. Chair/Zirbes closed the public hearing. Chair/Zirbes suggested approving the ordinance provided that no reader board be placed within 1000 feet of a residential property. C/Tye was adamantly opposed to reader boards in the City of Diamond Bar. VC/Ruzicka said he could live with reader boards as long as the City could control their look and content. C/Nelson agreed with Chair/Zirbes that a provision to allow no reader boards within 1000 feet of residential property. DCM/DeStefano responded to C/Nelson that the proposed height of the reader board is related to the speed at which vehicles travel and the ability of the driver to digest the contents of the sign in time to exit the freeway at the location specified on the sign. Mr. Wilson said that if the sign height was dropped below 65 feet vehicles traversing Grand Avenue would block the bottom tenant panels from motorists' views. Addressing VC/Ruzicka, Mr. Wilson said he would prefer to drop the sign a few feet rather than make the tenant panels smaller. OCTOBER 9, 2001 PAGE 4 PLANNING COMMISSION C/Tye said that even if the sign is located 1,000 feet or more from residential property, it will be visible to homes and condominiums across the freeway. VC/Ruzicka believed that Mr. Wilson addressed the fact that the light of the reader board is reflected downward and no light is reflected upward. Therefore, it seems that the City would have a lot of control over how the sign is designed. C/Tye pointed out that the signs are visible from the air and would be visible from the ridgeline even though the light is reflected downward. Following discussion, C/Tye moved, C/Nelson seconded to adopt a resolution recommending City Council denial of Development Code Amendment No. 2001-02 and Negative Declaration No. 2001-03. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Kuo, Nelson, Tye, Chair/Zirbes NOES: COMMISSIONERS: VC/Ruzicka ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: None C/Nelson said this has been a difficult issue to consider and he asked staff to rethink the proposed Development Code Amendment. 8.2 Conditional Use Permit No. 2001-06 and Comprehensive Sign Program No. 2000-01 (pursuant to Code Sections 22.58 and 22.36.060) is a request to install signs for the Diamond Bar Honda dealership and recently approved dealer expansion/car wash/lube facility. Proposed signs are as follows: a 65 foot tall electronic reader board; three monument signs; two canopy signs; and one dealership identification sign. The Conditional Use Permit will be utilized to review the proposed electronic reader board sign with regard to location, design and potential impacts. The Comprehensive Sign Program provides a process for sign integration with the design of structures on site in order to achieve a unified architectural statement. PROJECT ADDRESS: 515-525 S. Grand Avenue Diamond Bar, CA 91765 PROPERTY OWNER: Matthew Tachdjian Col -Am Properties, LLC P.O. Box 4655 Diamond Bar, CA 91765 D OCTOBER 9, 2001 PAGE 5 APPLICANT: Rod Wilson PLANNING COMMISSION Electric -Media, Inc. 4737 W. 1.56`h Street Lawndale, CA 90260 Chair/Zirbes opened the public hearing. Rod Wilson, Owner, Electric -Media, Inc., speaking on behalf of the property owner, stressed the importance of a sign program to the expansion of his dealership. The reader board is the reason for this application. Not only did Huntington Beach approve the code amendment, the city paid $500,000 for the sign because they understood the value of helping the Huntington Beach businesses to maintain and possibly increase their sales. Other cities have wrestled with this issue. Escondido, for instance, has had a reader board installation for two plus years and as a result, has successfully increased the tax revenue for the city. Escondido effectively uses the sign to advertise their civic and theater events. Matt needs help to sell cars and this sign will help Matt sell cars. Newspaper advertising for dealerships averages about $50,000 per month. The sign will cost $400,000 to install, equal to approximately eight months of newspaper advertising. It is a fact that sales from reader board signs is more effective than newspaper advertising. A reader board will be visible to approximately 250,000 vehicle occupants who pass by this location. Static signs when first put up has a readership value of about 50 to 70 percent and decreases down to 15 percent. A reader board sign stays in the 72 to 82 percent readership area. That is why the reader board is necessary for this application. Following installation of a reader board, sales increase 16 to 22 percent. Studies concluded by CalTrans indicate that there have never been any accident recorded in the history of electronic reader boards along the CalTrans system throughout Southern California. Chair/Zirbes moved, C/Tye seconded, to continue the public hearing to November 27, 2001. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Kuo, Nelson, Tye, Chair/Zirbes, VC/Ruzicka NOES: COMMISSIONERS: ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: None Chair/Zirbes continued the public hearing to November 27, 2001. 9. PLANNING COMMISSION COMMENTS: None Offered. OCTOBER 9, 2001 PAGE 6 PLANNING COMMISSION 10. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: 10.1 Public Hearing dates for future projects. As agendized. 11. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE EVENTS: As listed in the Agenda. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Planning Commission, Chairman Zirbes adjourned the meeting at 9:28 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, JamDeStefano Deputy City Manag r Attest: Chairman Bob Zirbes