|
|
|
|
Project Title: |
2340 Pacheco Boulevard Wall Sign |
|
|
|
|
County File(s): |
CDSR23-00005 |
|
|
|
|
Applicant/Owner: |
Barry Thompson, Cowan & Thompson Construction (Applicant and Owner) |
|
|
|
|
Zoning/General Plan: |
R-B Retail Business District / CO Commercial and Office |
|
|
|
|
Site Address/Location: |
2340 Pacheco Boulevard in the Martinez area of unincorporated Contra Costa County (Assessor’s Parcel Number: 375-011-001) |
|
|
|
|
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Status: |
Categorical Exemption - Class 1: CEQA Guidelines, Section 15301(a) |
|
|
|
|
Project Planner: |
Syd Sotoodeh, Senior Planner, (925) 655-2877 |
|
|
syd.sotoodeh@dcd.cccounty.us |
|
|
|
|
Staff Recommendation: |
Approve (See Section II for Full Recommendation) |
|
|
|
I. PROJECT SUMMARY
The applicant requests approval of a Sign Permit to install an approximately 52.5 square-foot, LED illuminated wall sign on an existing commercial building.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Department of Conservation and Development, Community Development Division (CDD) staff recommends that the County Zoning Administrator:
A. FIND that the project is categorically exempt from CEQA under Section 15301(a) of the CEQA Guidelines.
B. APPROVE Sign Permit CDSR23-00005 for installation of one new digital, LED-illuminated wall sign on an existing commercial building, based on the attached findings and subject to the attached conditions of approval.
C. DIRECT staff to file a Notice of Exemption with the County Clerk.
III. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. General Plan: CO Commercial.
B. Zoning: R-B Retail Business District.
C. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): Categorical Exemption - CEQA Guidelines, Section 15301(a), Existing Facilities, which provides a Class 1 exemption for an exterior alteration of an existing building involving negligible or no expansion of use.
D. Previous Zoning Applications: There is no record of previous zoning applications for the project site.
IV. BACKGROUND
The Sign Review application was accepted on April 19, 2023 for an as-built 12-foot by 6-foot electronic wall sign attached to the facade of the existing commercial building at 2340 Pacheco Boulevard. The sign was installed without an approved permit and was the subject of Code Enforcement Case CECF23-00067. On January 23, 2024, Code Enforcement staff determined that the sign had been removed and subsequently closed Case CECF23-00067.
CDD staff deemed the application as complete for processing, and mailed a Notice of Intent to Render an Administrative Decision on June 14, 2024 to surrounding property owners within a 300-foot radius of the project site.
The Notice of Intent provided information on the proposed wall sign. The notice also provided the public with the opportunity to comment on the project or request a public hearing. During the June 14, 2024 to June 24, 2024 noticing period, staff received six comment letters/emails from five surrounding neighbors, including one email requesting a public hearing.
V. SITE/AREA DESCRIPTION
The project site is an approximately 6,650 square-foot parcel located on the southeast corner of the Pacheco Boulevard - Martinez Avenue - Bush Street intersection in the Martinez area of unincorporated Contra Costa County. The site is within the R-B Retail-Business District. Adjacent to the property to the east and west on the southern side of Pacheco Boulevard are commercial developments within the R-B District. The area is otherwise comprised of residential development within the R-6 Single Family Residential District to the south, and single-family residential development within the City of Martinez on and extending north of Pacheco Boulevard. Generally, the development pattern of the area is urban in nature. The project site is developed with an approximately 3,900 square-foot, single-story commercial building with five off-street parking spaces.
VI. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The applicant requests approval of a Sign Permit to install an approximately 52.5 square-foot wall sign for an existing commercial building on the project site. The sign would be attached to the approximately 523 square-foot front façade at the northwest-facing corner of the building with a metal frame. According to the product specifications, as shown in Attachment D, the proposed sign is a full-color, single-sided digital display with adjustable brightness and scheduling features. Daytime brightness is programmable up to 100 percent brightness and nighttime brightness is typically 40 to 60 percent. The digital display also contains compliance settings intended to prevent excessive glare or flashing. The sign is programmable; therefore, the display content (colors, wording, and/or imagery) can be adjusted or changed using software. The applicant does not propose any specific messaging or display content. However, the applicant provided a photographic sample of a wall sign installed on the project site in 2023 with potential display content, as shown in Attachment E.
VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND PUBLIC HEARING REQUEST
A Notice of Intent to Render an Administrative Decision was sent on June 14, 2024, to properties within 300 feet of the project site. The notice had a deadline to submit public comments or request a public hearing by 5:00 PM on Monday June 24, 2024. During the noticing time period, staff received six comment letters from five surrounding neighbors, including one letters requesting a public hearing and one letter supporting the proposed project. The comment letters are included in Attachment F. Below is a summary of the comments received during the noticing period along with staff responses.
A. Bright Light and Glare: An illuminated sign was installed on the project site in the fall of 2022 which produced an intense, bright, white light. Thus, neighbors expressed a concern that the proposed illuminated sign would be too bright and would light up their homes in a similar manner as the previously installed sign.
Staff Response: Pursuant to County Code Section 88-6.622, signs permitted by the County Sign Ordinance may not be illuminated unless expressly authorized by a sign permit. In addition, the County Zoning Administrator may condition approval of a sign permit to regulate the time, intensity, and quality of illumination. Accordingly, staff has recommended as conditions of approval (COAs) requirements related to operating times and illumination intensity (COA #6 and COA #7).
B. Neon Lighting: There is already enough neon lighting in the vicinity of the project.
Staff Response: The project does not propose the installation of any neon lighting.
C. Animation, Blinking, Flashing, Scrolling Ads, Neighborhood Character, and Views: The proposed project may result in a sign that is animated, blinks, or flashes, and/or scrolls through advertisements. In addition, illuminated signs are not compatible with the surrounding residential neighborhood, and a sign that loops through advertisements for other businesses which are not related to the business on the project site is out of character with a residential neighborhood. Furthermore, a bright, illuminated sign would intrude on views of Alhambra Valley and Mt. Diablo.
Staff Response: The project site is located in an R-B Retail Business District where wall signs are allowed for a variety of commercial uses. There are other commercial/retail businesses in the R-B District adjacent to and in the vicinity of the site which are also allowed wall signs, some of which are illuminated. Generally, illuminated wall signs are common for many commercial businesses in Contra Costa County. However, pursuant to County Code Section 88-6.416, animated signs, moving signs, or signs that flash, blink, or rotate, are prohibited. Accordingly, staff has recommended as a condition of approval a requirement that any illuminated sign that is installed will have a static image that is not animated, and that does not flash or blink (COA #8 and COA #9). The intent of County Code Section 88-6.206 is to maintain message neutrality. However, staff has recommended as a condition of approval a requirement that the sign’s display content shall not be changed more than once every 72 hours, and prohibiting any changes to the display content during operating hours (COA #9)
D. Safety/Driver Distraction: An illuminated sign that is animated, flashes, or blinks and that faces directly towards eastbound drivers on Pacheco Boulevard, could be a distraction to drivers and therefore a safety concern for drivers and pedestrians.
Staff Response: As built, the front façade and door of the existing commercial building on the southeast corner of the Pacheco Boulevard - Martinez Avenue - Bush Street intersection faces onto Pacheco Boulevard and Martinez Street and is highly visible to drivers heading eastbound on Pacheco Boulevard. Staff concurs with the neighbors that a bright, animated sign may be a distraction to approaching drivers. As discussed above, staff has recommended conditions of approval limiting the hours that the illuminated sign may be operated and prohibiting the use of animation, flashing, or blinking which would reduce the sign’s ability to distract drivers approaching the building from eastbound Pacheco Boulevard.
E. Sign Size: The sign seems oversized for the building. Were the sign area calculations done correctly?
Staff Response: Pursuant to County Code Section 88-6.612, attached wall signs are limited to an area that is 10 percent or less of the area of the wall on which it is placed, excluding all other signs on the frontage of the building. Based on the project plans, the proposed sign is 52.5 square feet in area and would be located on a building frontage measuring approximately 543 square feet in area. Thus, staff calculates that the proposed sign would occupy approximately 9.7 percent of the total wall area on which it will be placed. There are no other signs proposed or known to be installed on the frontage of the building.
F. Property Values and Privacy: The sign will affect the image and value of nearby properties. Given that Pacheco Boulevard is busy with traffic, more commercial signage in the area would impact the privacy of nearby residents even after business hours.
Staff Response: As discussed above, the project site is located in an R-B Retail Business District where wall signs, including illuminated signs, are allowed upon approval of a sign permit for a variety of commercial uses. Staff has recommended as conditions of approval requirements related to the time that the sign could be operated, illumination intensity, and changes to display content. There is no evidence that installation and use of a wall sign on a commercial building would infringe on the privacy of nearby residents or commercial businesses.
VIII. STAFF ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
A. General Plan Consistency: The project was deemed “complete” for processing and a Notice of Notice of Intent to Render an Administrative Decision was mailed on June 14, 2024, prior to the adoption of the 2045 General Plan on November 5, 2024. Therefore, the prior General Plan 2005-2020 applies to this project.
1. Land Use Element: The project site is located within a CO Commercial General Plan land use designation. The purpose of the CO designation is to allow for a range of commercial uses that are typically found in smaller scale neighborhoods. Generally, these uses include retail, personal services, limited office, and financial services with an average of 160 employees per gross acre. The CO land use designation also includes standards for development including maximum site coverage, building height, and floor-area ratio (FAR). The proposed project is the installation of a wall sign on an existing commercial building. There is no proposed development or change to the use of the building. Thus, the project is consistent with the intent and purpose of the CO General Plan designation.
2. Policies for the Vine Hill/Pacheco Boulevard Area: General Plan Policies 3-105, 3-106, and 3-107 provide guidance for uses and development in the Vine Hill/Pacheco Boulevard area of the County. The intent of policies 3-105 and 3-106 is to protect the scenic assets and slopes of Vine Hill Ridge and buffer the residential neighborhood east of I-680 from industrial or landfill-related uses. Policy 3-107 is intended to preserve the vineyards and winery on approximately 40 acres of land between Morello and Pacheco Boulevard. None of these specific area policies are applicable to the proposed wall sign installation project.
B. Zoning Compliance: The project site is located within the R-B Retail Business District. Allowable uses in the R-B District include a variety of retail and commercial uses with or without a valid land use permit (County Code Section 85-42.402 and 85-52.404). The proposed digital sign would be attached to an existing commercial building. There is no proposed development or change to the use of the building. Therefore, the proposed project is in compliance with the R-B District.
C. Sign Ordinance: The project proposes the installation of a new approximately 52.5 square-foot digital sign illuminated with dimmable LEDs and attached to the wall at the front of an existing building. This sign is subject to the Sign Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2022-03), which is codified as County Code Chapter 88-6. The purpose of the sign ordinance is to regulate the construction, placement display and maintenance of signs in the unincorporated areas of the County, where Article 88-6.8 regulates signs placed or displayed on private property. The project complies with the requirements of the sign ordinance as detailed below.
• Attached signs are not allowed to exceed ten percent of the total wall area on which it is placed. The new wall sign would occupy approximately 9.66 percent of the wall area.
• New wall signs are not allowed to exceed 15 feet in height above grade or extend above the eaves, fascia, or parapet of a building. The new wall sign would have a total height of 15 feet above grade and would not extend higher than the eaves or parapet of the building.
• New signs may only be illuminated if authorized by the sign permit and conditions may be included. Staff has recommended conditions of approval related to the intensity of illumination and times of day that the sign may be illuminated (COA #6 through #9).
Thus, as conditioned, the proposed illuminated wall sign is consistent with the applicable regulations of the sign ordinance.
D. Appropriateness of Use: The project site is within an established neighborhood that is comprised of a mix of commercial businesses and single-family residences. The proposed installation of a new, LED-illuminated digital wall sign that is commercial in nature is consistent with the established use on the site. Therefore, the proposed wall sign is an appropriate use for the property.
IX. CONCLUSION
The installation of an illuminated wall sign on the existing commercial building at 2340 Pacheco Boulevard is consistent with the CO Commercial General Plan land use designation, complies with the R-B Retail-Business Zoning District and as conditioned, complies with the regulations of the County Sign Ordinance. Staff recommends approval of Sign Permit CDSR23-00005, based on the attached findings and subject to the attached conditions of approval.