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2011-02-28 - Appearance Review Team - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑Appearance Review Team Document Type: ❑A e g nda 0 Minutes Meeting ate: 02/28/2011 Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting ART (Appearance Review Team) Meeting FEBRUARY 28, 2011 Shah Residence — 2833 Whispering Oaks Drive Attached Garage Addition and Second Story Addition PRESENT Ghida Neukirch, Deputy Village Manager Carol Berman, Deputy Building Commissioner/Administration Brian Sheehan, Deputy Building Commissioner/Operations Robert Pfeil, Village Planner Nidhi Vaid, Associate Planner Joe Wallace, Plan Examiner PROPOSAL Request is being made by Mr. Shah, 2833 Whispering Oaks Drive, to construct an attached garage addition onto the rear of the existing side-loading garage. They are also requesting to construct a second story addition in the rear of the home to enclose the existing second story deck and convert into an office. The materials are proposed to match the existing construction. A second curb cut is allowed in the R2 Residential District, Engineering approval is pending. There were no questions or comments. RECOMMENDATION ART recommends approval subject to the following: 1. Materials to match the existing construction in like kind and quality; 2. Subject to Engineering approval of the second curb cut. Board or Commission: ❑Appearance Review Team Document Type: ❑A e g nda 0 Minutes Meeting ate: 02/28/2011 Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting ART (Appearance Review Team) Meeting FEBRUARY 28, 2011 201 MILWAUKEE AVENUE, SPEEDWAY SIGN CODE VARIATION TO REPLACE THE EXISTING MANUAL CHANGEABLE COPY PRICE SIGNS WITH DIGITAL LED PRICE SIGNS PRESENT Ghida Neukirch, Deputy Village Manager Brian Sheehan, Deputy Building Commissioner/Operations Carol Berman, Deputy Building Commissioner/Administration Robert Pfeil, Village Planner Nidhi Vaid, Associate Planner Joe Wallace, Plan Examiner Louis Windecker, ZBA Commissioner Andy Stein, ZBA Commissioner John Boyd, Sunshine Electronic Display Corporation Tony Jaynes, Speedway PROPOSAL Request is being made by John T. Boyd, 633 Montezuma Road, Keystone, CO 80435 on behalf of Speedway Super America, 201 Milwaukee Avenue, for variance of Sign Code, Section 14.40.025, pertaining to Changeable Copy Signs, for the purpose of replacing the existing manual changeable copy price signs with digital LED price signs. Mr. Boyd explained that the existing sign is the old style sign. Speedway is gradually upgrading all of the older signs with the LED price signs. LED is new technology. By upgrading to the LED price signs, this will avoid having to send people up thirty (30) feet in the air to manually change the signs. He was up on the catwalk today and it was not fun. It was coated in ice. The new LED price signs will also clean up the look at of the sign. The existing catwalk would be removed. The external lights would remain to illuminate the Speedway logo. The proposed price signs would have thirty six (36) inch high numbers, which would replace the current forty five (45) inch high numbers. The new numbers would be wider than the existing numbers in order to be more conforming to industry standards. The illumination of the LED would be at fifty (50) percent during the day and ten (10) percent at night. This should be less objectionable to the surrounding properties. Mr. Sheehan advised that based on the Annexation Agreement, this sign is allowed to remain on the property until 2017 at which time it would need to be brought into conformance with the Village sign code. He asked if Speedway is aware of this condition in the Annexation Agreement. He also asked if it would make sense to replace the current sign now instead of waiting until 2017 since they were contemplating doing this modification. Mr. Jaynes stated that he is not aware of the 2017 deadline, but he will review this information with corporate. Mr. Sheehan asked Mr. Jaynes to have the representatives of Speedway reaffirm that they are aware of the 2017 deadline to bring this sign into conformance and advise if corporate chooses to move forward with the request as proposed. Com. Stein advised that the petitioner take a look at the Speedway sign at the location a little farther north on Milwaukee Avenue. Maybe corporate will decide to take down this sign sooner. Mr. Jaynes stated that Speedway is trying to retrofit all their existing signs. They may not want to spend the additional money for 5 years. Mrs. Neukirch agrees with Mr. Sheehan's recommendation to upgrade the sign. If they are looking to make a change to the signs, make it for the long term. The background on the current appears to be fading in the exhibit supplied, but that may just be due to the quality of the picture. Mr. Boyd stated that Speedway has found that these types of sign are the most effective to generate sales. They are big signs and Speedway would probably want to keep this up until 2017 and then change the sign. Speedway has approximately fifty (50) to one hundred (100) of theses types of signs. If they had to remove the sign, they would take the LED price signs down and put them on a different sign. They would also reface the logos if they are found to be faded. The logo at this location does not look as bad as the picture. Mrs. Neukirch asked how often the far right sign, which currently has the price of coffee at .99 cents, would be changed. Mr. Jaynes advised that panel would not change, it would be static. He added that it is a big priority for Speedway to ensure that their employees are safe. To change this sign over to a monument sign would be a last resort. Mrs. Neukirch confirmed that the far right panel would be limited to a generic product and pricing for that product. Mr. Jaynes added that the panels are internally illuminated. Com. Windecker asked about similar signs in the area. Mr. Boyd believes that there is a similar sign in Chicago. Com. Windecker advised that the ground signs in this area are monument signs. He also stated that three (3) foot high numbers are awfully large. The Shell price signs down the street are two (2) feet high and appear very large. Mr. Jaynes explained that a majority of the ground signs are ground mount or two (2) pole mount signs. Mr. Boyd added that they are replacing the existing four (4) foot tall numbers with three (3) foot tall numbers. They would be smaller. Com. Windecker believes that they are still very large. Mr. Jaynes explained that this sign was installed for the high traffic in the area. Com. Windecker asked for them to look at other signs in the area. The sign in Prospect Heights is not even illuminated. Other signs are not as large. He asked them to consider a more normal size sign. Mr. Boyd stated that if Speedway can keep the sign until 2017 they will want to keep it until then. The LED's are less expensive to replace than what is there now. They can put in a new ground sign, but it will cost a lot more and history has shown that it will reduce sales. Mr. Sheehan asked if Mr. Boyd can produce the data to support that a smaller sign would effectively reduce sales at this location. Is there documentation available from other stations that have removed or decreased the size of their signage and then shown a subsequent decrease in sales. Mr. Boyd stated that he can not produce that data, corporate will not release it. He has been told by corporate that they can expect the sales to drop between ten (10) and twenty (20) percent if a smaller ground sign is installed. Mr. Sheehan stated that he could appreciate that information, if they were talking about a sign along the highway or an expressway, where the sign has to be visible form a greater distance in order to make the decision to exit to get gasoline, but in this case, if you do not see the sign until you are on the overpass, it is too late as you have passed the exit. Mr. Boyd was asked if there were any studies that were done to confirm the sales decline information. Mr. Boyd explained that there were no studies conducted. The information is based on sales information, which is not divulged by the company. They look at the same store's sales with the sign in place and again at the sales once the sign has been removed or reduced. It is very important for people to see the price. It drives the business. If the ZBA denies the request, Speedway will most likely keep the sign as it exists until 2017 when it has to be replaced. Com. Stein would like some written acknowledgement from the corporate entity that the request to replace the existing sign with a code compliant sign was presented and rejected. Mrs. Neukirch agrees and requested a written acknowledgement from Speedway regarding the 2017 deadline. Mr. Boyd stated that if the sign had to be removed in two (2) years, Speedway may decide to replace it now, but since they have six (6) years, he believes that they will decide to wait. However, the safety of their employees is very important to them, they would prefer to make it safer by adding the LED pricing and keep the employees from having to climb up thirty (30) feet in the air to change the sign. This current sign is over twenty five (25) years old. Com. Windecker asked about the number of signs existing that have the catwalks. Mr. Boyd stated that there are approximately twenty five (25) to thirty (30) signs that currently have the catwalks. He re-iterated that he believes that sending someone up on the catwalk is dangerous. Mr. Pfeil asked Mr. Sheehan if products are generally allowed on changeable copy signs. Mr. Sheehan replied that on the most recent service station sign we discouraged the specific product placement and the petitioner acquiesced to the suggestion. Mr. Pfeil asked Mr. Sheehan if any of the recent changeable copy service station price signs were allowed to advertise a product. Mr. Sheehan advised that they were not. Mr. Pfeil asked the petitioner why the diesel price numbers are green in lieu of red. Mr. Boyd stated that green is now the standard color for diesel gas pricing. The pricing will get more confusing in the future with the introduction of more fueling options. Mr. Pfeil asked if any other municipalities have expressed concern about the LED colors and if they have allowed three (3) colors on digital display signs. He questioned why it is necessary to use a bright yellow background for the word "DIESEL," since the green numbers adequately convey the necessary information to motorists. Mr. Boyd stated that he has never been questioned regarding the colors. Mr. Pfeil asked if the green numbers for the diesel price is Speedway's color or if this is the industry standard diesel fuel pricing. Mr. Boyd replied that they are both. He added that not all service stations carried diesel fuel. The color identifies that they carry diesel. Com. Windecker stated that a gas station in Vernon Hills that carries diesel has all of their pricing one (1) color. Mr. Boyd added that he recommends that the background color for all LED signs should be black. It makes it more difficult to read the sign otherwise. Mr. Boyd presented electronic photographs of the existing sign and other Speedway signs that have been retrofitted with the LED price signs. He explained this sign could be seen very well from a Y8 of a mile away. It could be seen somewhat well from a Y4 mile away. Mr. Pfeil asked if speed was a variable in this determination. Mr. Boyd stated that a high rise sign with seven (7) foot tall numbers can be seen from 3/ miles away on the highway. The sign itself is usually set '/ mile away from the off ramp. That gives the driver a Y4 mile to decide if he needs to stop and fill up with gas. That is approximately fifteen (15) seconds. Mr. Sheehan asked if Speedway would reduce the nit level if the Village receives complaints from neighboring property owner. Mr. Boyd stated that they would agree to a stipulation in the approval that if complaints are received they would reduce the illumination level of the sign accordingly. There were no additional questions or comments. RECOMMENDATION The ART has determined that the appearance of the sign as proposed meets the criteria set forth in the Village of Buffalo Grove Appearance Plan and is in harmony with the building and is compatible with the surrounding area subject to: 1. Written acknowledgement from Speedway that they are aware of and intend to comply with the requirement of the Annexation Agreement that all signs on the property are brought into conformance with the Village Sign code by December 10, 2017; 2. Written acknowledgement from Speedway that the ART suggested that the existing sign should be replaced with a code compliant sign, but this suggestion was rejected by Mr. Jaynes and Mr. Boyd; 3. Limit the far right panel to a generic product and price for that product The product advertised shall not be any alcohol or tobacco product; 4. Provide a fully dimensioned sign rendering including the overall sign dimensions, dimensions of each individual component or area of the sign, including the width and height of the individual digits that make up the price; 5. Limit the LED pricing display to red, with the exception that the price for diesel fuel can be displayed in green; and 6. Limit the product description above the pricing to a black background with white lettering. The request for the variance from the Sign Code will be heard at March 15, 2011 Zoning Board of Appeals meeting.