Loading...
10-30-18 Planning Commission Agenda CITY OF SHOREWOOD COUNCIL CHAMBERS PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD TUESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2018 7:00 P.M. A G E N D A CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL / (LIAISON) SCHEDULE RIEDEL (Oct) ______ MADDY (Sep) ______ GORHAM (Aug) ______ EGGENBERGER (Dec) ______ DAVIS (Nov) ______ 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES October 2, 2018  3. PUBLIC HEARINGS A) 7:00 P.M. PUBLIC HEARING TO REVIEW THE DRAFT 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 4. OTHER BUSINESS 5. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR 6. REPORTS Council Meeting Report  Draft next meeting agenda  7. ADJOURNMENT CITY OF SHOREWOOD COUNCIL CHAMBERS PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2018 7:00 P.M. MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Chair Maddy called the meeting to order at 7:01 P.M. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Maddy; Commissioners Davis, Eggenberger, Gorham, and Riedel; Planning Director Darling; and, Council Liaison Johnson Absent: None 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Davis moved, Eggenberger, seconded, approving the agenda for October 2, 2018, as presented. Motion passed 5/0. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES  September 18, 2018 Davis moved, Reidel seconded, approving the Planning Commission Meeting Minutes of September 18, 2018, as presented. Motion passed 4/0/1 (Commissioner Eggenberger abstained due to his absence at the meeting.) 3. PUBLIC HEARINGS - None 4. OTHER BUSINESS A. VARIANCE FOR SIGNAGE AT STARBUCK’S COFFEE Applicant: Hilton Displays, Inc., rep. Watson Vinehill, LLC Location: 19285 State Highway 7 Director Darling stated that this is a request to allow two additional free-standing signs in the drive-thru area at the Starbuck’s at 19285 State Highway 7. One sign would be a pre-sale menu for product advertising and the second would be a digital order confirmation monitor. She gave a brief overview of the information submitted with their variance request on signage decreasing wait times but noted that there was not a lot of detailed information indicating where the data and studies were gathered. She reviewed the criteria that staff considered in reviewing this application. Staff is recommending approval of the digital order screen, and recommending denial of the additional pre-sale sign. She noted that the City did receive a letter signed by four area neighbors that are opposed to having additional signage in the drive-thru area. She stated that she wanted to clarify one point raised in the letter that indicated that the traffic study for the project was deliberately delayed until the high school was closed for summer. She stated that the traffic study was conducted before school was let out for the season. Chair Maddy stated that he believes the City also made sure that the study was not conducted during spring break. CITY OF SHOREWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OCTOBER 2, 2018 Page 2 of 5 Commissioner Reidel confirmed that staff was recommending denial of the pre-sale sign because of skepticism that it may help improve wait times. Director Darling stated that she is skeptical that it would have a positive impact on wait times, or in other words that it would increase wait times. Commissioner Reidel asked if there were any other drive-thrus in the City. Director Darling stated that the City has a very limited amount of acreage that is non-residential and the only other drive-thru is Tino’s which is next door to this property. Commissioner Reidel stated that when the code was written there was not a huge base of drive-thru windows and suggested that the current technology was not in place when it was adopted. Director Darling stated that the current code was adopted in 1985. Commissioner Eggenberger asked about the alternative suggestion made by staff. Director Darling stated that she found a few examples of combining the menu board with pre-sale board. She also stated that the Commission could allow them to have a maximum of 32 square feet of signage and allow the area to be split between the two signs as they deem necessary. Commissioner Reidel confirmed that the City currently allows one sign and this applicant is asking for a total of three signs. Chair Maddy asked about the comment in the report that allowing this signage could alter the character of the area. Director Darling stated that her concern is that there is a drive-thru sign next door that is in compliance with the current ordinance and now this business comes in and is allowed additional signage. She stated that she believes the Commission should consider this application based on the current codes and if the Commission thinks the code needs updating, it can approve the variance and update the code later to be consistent. Commissioner Reidel asked if staff had looked more deeply into the order confirmation monitors other than what was included in the packet. Director Darling stated that she feels the confirmation monitors clarify orders and make it a quicker process in the drive-thru line. Maddie Keller, Hilton Displays, representing Starbuck’s, stated that the pre-sale board is designed to feature things like seasonal items and bakery items. Commissioner Reidel asked about the sign positioning and how prominent they would be to the surrounding area. Ms. Keller stated that the visibility will depend on the landscaping and she is not sure what the plans are for that. She stated that they are designed to be very sleek and mainstream and are done in black. Commissioner Reidel asked if there would be night time light pollution from the signage. CITY OF SHOREWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OCTOBER 2, 2018 Page 3 of 5 Ms. Keller stated that the menu boards are back lit illuminated so they can be seen while the store is open and believes they are open until 10:00 p.m. Commissioner Eggenberger asked if the corporate signage would allow for the suggested alternative the Commission was discussing with two total menu boards. Ms. Keller stated that she would have to discuss the possibility of going to the two-panel menu board plus the pre-menu board, rather than the three-panel menu board that is currently proposed, but that would be up to Starbuck’s. She noted that the digital order confirmation board will be located right next to the menu board so people can be looking at both of them as they are placing their order. Commissioner Reidel asked whether the order confirmation board should really be considered as signage. Ms. Keller stated that she didn’t personally think it should be, but Hilton Displays treats it as signage. She noted that the speaker to place orders was placed at the bottom of the order confirmation screen rather than a speaker post. She stated that the white lettering on the canopy that says Starbuck’s Coffee can be removed. Commissioner Reidel stated that he is skeptical of staff’s position regarding the wait times because he would defer to the corporation information that says this will decrease wait times. He stated that it is extra signage that our code does not allow. He stated that he feels the strongest argument for the variance is that the traffic situation is bad and this could help. Director Darling stated that she has asked for more documentation on the claim that it decreases wait times, but did not receive anything specific. She confirmed that he was talking about the pre-sale sign. Commissioner Reidel stated that he was actually referring to the digital confirmation sign and feels the pre-sale sign is simply there to increase their sales. He stated that he thinks the digital confirmation screen will help decrease wait times because there shouldn’t be any mistakes with the orders. Ms. Keller noted that the pre-sale menu can also help decrease wait times because people that see something they want on the pre-sale menu do not have to look at the whole menu board and can just say, for example, give me a pumpkin spice latte. Commissioner Eggenberger noted that there was a picture of the Starbuck’s in Chanhassen included in the packet and asked whether this location had four signs. Commissioner Davis noted that there was also a sandwich board in addition to those signs. Commissioner Eggenberger asked if the Commission denied this variance application, would the applicant be allowed to put up temporary signs. Director Darling stated that temporary signs are regulated by permit and are permitted for specific amount of time. Chair Maddy stated that the pre-sale menu board actually has more items on it than he expected and it is not just one or two items, so he can see how it may actually decrease the order times when people get to the menu board. He noted that the Chanhassen pre-sale board has about sixteen items listed on the board. Commissioner Reidel stated that decreasing wait times due to the traffic in the area seems to be a good reason for allowing the variance. He asked what the combined square footage would be for the total of all the signs that Starbuck’s is proposing. CITY OF SHOREWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OCTOBER 2, 2018 Page 4 of 5 Ms. Keller stated that the pre-menu board is 6.72 sq. ft. and the menu board is 22.9 sq. ft. She noted that the digital confirmation board is also about 6 sq. ft. which would put them a bit over the allowed 32 sq.ft. in the current City code. Commissioner Gorham asked why the Commission was only talking about the screen when the proposal is for a 10-foot sign. Commissioner Reidel stated that if Starbuck’s could reduce the menu board to two panels, he feels all of the signage requested could come in below the 32 sq. ft. requirement. He suggested allowing the variance to include three signs, but keep the total square footage amount allowed as the same. Commissioner Eggenberger stated that the combined square footage is pretty close to what is allowed, if the digital confirmation board is taken out, which he does not really consider as signage. He does not think the inclusion of a pre-menu board changes the character of the area. He stated that he is in favor of approving this variance but would like landscaping that blocks the view from Highway 7. Chair Maddy asked if the Commission was in agreement that the digital confirmation board is not to be included as a sign, but as a piece of technology. He suggested that the Commission may want to look into an ordinance amendment to address this issue. Commissioner Davis confirmed that the illuminated directional signs and pylons that contain the logo were not considered signs. She stated to her, those look like signs. Director Darling noted that directional signs may have three square feet, including the directional information. Commissioner Reidel moved to recommend that the Council approve the variance request for two additional signs, subject to the limit of the total area of all three signs, counting the digital order board as a sign, not to exceed 32 square feet. Motion died for lack of a second. The Commission discussed the different signs and menu board options. Commissioner Eggenberger moved, Reidel seconded to recommend approval of variances to allow:  an additional freestanding sign to be used as a pre-sale sign as long as the total square footage of the pre-sale and menu boards does not exceed 32 square feet  an additional freestanding sign to be used as a digital order confirmation. Motion carried 4/1 (Gorham opposed). Director Darling noted that this request would be on the Council agenda for October 22, 2018. 5. MATTERS FROM THE FLOOR - None 6. REPORTS • Liaison to Council Director Darling stated that there were no Planning Commission items at the last Council meeting. She stated that there were a number of people who spoke during Matters from the Floor with concerns about CITY OF SHOREWOOD PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OCTOBER 2, 2018 Page 5 of 5 Grant Street drainage issues, a candidate for office, concerns regarding the Manor Park Pond, and the Glen Road street reconstruction project. She reviewed the items on the upcoming Council agenda. She reminded the Commission about the special meeting on October 30, 2018 to hold the public hearing for the Comprehensive Plan. • Draft Next Meeting Agenda Director Darling stated that for the November meeting, there is one variance application that has been submitted and an application for subdivision with a PUD. 7. ADJOURNMENT Eggenberger moved, Reidel seconded, adjourning the Planning Commission Meeting of October 2, 2018, at 8:16 P.M. Motion passed 5/0.