ADB-09-40 Staff Report with Attachments.pdf417c, lsq�3
CITY OF' EDMONDS
121 5TH AVENUE NORTH - EDMONDS, WA 98020 - (425) 771-0220 - FAX (425) 771-0221
Website: wwwd.odmonds-wa us
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Planning - Building - Engineering
GARY HAAKENSON
MAYOR
PLANNING DIVISION
REPORT & RECOMMENDATION TO THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN BOARD
Project: Rory's cif Edmonds Sign Proposal
File Number: ADB -2009-40
Date of Report: July 29, 2009
From:
Jen mach"ga, Planner
Public Hearing: August 5, 2009 at 7:00 P.M.
E'dmonds Public Sal'cty Complex: Council Chambers
250 5"' Avenue North, Edmonds WA 98020
I. SUMMARY OF PROPOSED ACTION:
'Fhe subject proposal, submitted by Elton Roundhill, is for design review and approval of new
projecting sign for Rory's of Edmonds, located at 105 Main Street. The site is within the
Downtown Business (13D2) zone, I'lie proposed projecting; sign will replace the existing wall
sign, which was recently vandalized according to the applicant's statement,
Design review of a sign at, this location would typically be an administrative review, conducted
by stalTwith review of the applicable building permits. However, the applicant has proposed a
modification to the rnaxiniuni allowed height of 14' (pursuant to FIC DC' in order to
rn0L111t the sign on tile rnansard roof above the main entrance on the southern fad ade so that the
top of the sign is 16'-7V2" above ground level. EC DC 20.60.015.13 allows applicants to bring
signage proposals before the Architectural Design Board (AD13) when they wish to request a
modification of the standards in the sign code. 'I'lierelore, the subject proposal is being brought
before the AD13.
I'lie applicant has submitted a staternent describing the request as well as plans and photographs
depicting the proposed sign and location (Exhibits 3 through 8).
The following is staff's analysis of the project.
E xhibit I
ADB -2009-40
Incorporated August 11, 1890
Sister City - Hekinan, Japan
Rory's of Edmonds Sign Proposal
File Number: Af)B-2009-40
II. GENERAL INFORMATION:
1. Owner: Elton Roundhill (Exhibit 3)
2. Applicant: Same as owner
3. Tax Parcel Number: 00434401201202
4. Location: 105 Main Street (Exhibit 2)
5. Zoning: Downtown Business (BD2)
b. Existing Use: The existing use of the site is the Rory's of Edmonds restaurant. The existing
wall -mounted sign for this business was recently vandalized (Exhibit 4).
7. Proposed Use: There is no proposed change in the existing restaurant use of the site. The
proposal is for a new projecting sign to replace the existing wall sign (Exhibits 4).
8. Issues: For this project, the Architectural Design Board (ADB) reviews the design of the
proposal and makes the final decision on whether the proposal is consistent with the design
review criteria found in ECDC 20.10 (Design Review), ECDC 20.60 (Sign Code), the Zoning
Ordinance, and the Comprehensive Plan.
III. PUBLIC CONCERNS:
Since the subject proposal is not a "Major" project (i.e. it does not trigger SEPA review), public
notice was not required. To date, no public comments have been received.
IV. TECHNICAL COMMITTEE:
This application was reviewed and evaluated by the City's Building and Engineering Divisions.
Both Divisions had no comments and approved the proposal as submitted.
V. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT:
1. Topography: The subject site slopes downwards gradually from east to west.
2. Critical Areas: The subject property does not appear to contain any critical areas as defined
by ECDC 23.40. As a result, a waiver from the requirement to complete a study was issued
under File No. CRA20010045. Thus, the Applicant and the City have complied with tile
requirements of ECDC 23.40.
3. SEPA Review: The subject application is exempt froEn SEPA review.
VI. NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS:
The subject site is located in downtown Edmonds near the ferry terminal within a mixed
commercial and residential neighborhood (Exhibit 2). The site is located at the northeast corner
of the intersection of Main Street and Sunset Avenue. Refer to the zoning and vicinity map
(Exhibit 2) for the various zoning designations near the subject site, including BD, BC, OR, RS,
and RM zones. The neighborhood consists of a variety of uses, Primarily commercial uses exist
along Main Street near this location, while north of the subject site are single-family residences.
Multi -family residences are also within the vicinity of the site.
Page 2 of 6
Rory's of Edmonds Sign Proposal
Pile Number: ADB -2009-40
VII. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
The Comprehensive flan designation for this site is "Downtown Mixed Commercial." The site
is also located within the "Downtown/Waterfront Activity Center." Wages 25 through 37 of the
Comprehensive flan contain the goals and policies applicable to the "Downtown/Waterfront
Activity Center," and pages 38 through 42 provide the design objectives for properties within
downtown Edmonds. The following policy is most applicable to the subject application;
I✓.20. Develop sign regulations that support the pedestrian character of downtown,
encouraging signage to assist in locating businesses and public and cultural facilities
while discouraging obtrusive and garish signage which detracts from downtown
pedestrian and cultural amenities.
The design objectives applicable to signage for properties within downtown Edmonds include the
following:
Sign age
a. Protect the streetscape front becoming cluttered,
b. Minimize distraction fr°orn the overuse of advertisement elements.
c. Provide clear signage to identify each distinct property or business and to improve
orientation and way -finding downtown.
d. Use graphics or symbols to reduce the need to have large letters,
e. Lighting of signs should be indirect or minimally backlit to display lettering and symbols
or graphic design instead of broadly lighting the face of the sign.
f Signage and other way -finding methods should be employed to assist citizens and
visitors in finding businesses and services.
g. Signage should be given special consideration when it is consistent with or contributes
to the historic character of sites on the Edmonds Register of Historic Places.
The existing wall -mounted sign for Rory's is shown in the photograph in Exhibit 8, the proposed
projecting sign is shown in the photograph in Exhibit 7, and the proposed sign location is shown
in Exhibits 6 and 8. The proposed sign would be compatible with the character of the
neighborhood, as the anchor gives the sign a nautical feel, which is compatible with the site's
close proximity to Puget Sound and the ferry terminal. The lettering on the proposed sign will be
visible to pedestrians and those in vehicles driving by, without the need for the sign to be large in
scale. Therefore, it appears that the proposed sign package is consistent with the goals and
policies of the Comprehensive Plan.
VIII. APPLICABLE CODES:
1. ECDC .16.43 (BD2 — Downtown Business)
A. This subject site is located in the Downtown Business (BD2) zone.
B. The maximum allowed height within the BD2 zone is 25 feet. Based on the applicant's
submittal, it does not appear that the portion of the sign projecting above the current
roofline would project above the 25 -foot height limit applicable to the BD2 zone. The
applicant will need to prove that all development standards applicable to the BD2 zone
are met through the building permit process.
Page 3 of
Rory's of Edmonds Sign Proposal
Dile Number: nd13-2009-40
2. ECDC 20.10 (Design Review)
A. The sign code (ECDC 20.60.015.13) states that signs reviewed by the ADB shall be
reviewed in accordance with the policies of ECDC 20.10.000 as well as the applicable
design criteria.
B. The subject site is located within the Downtown Business (BD2) zone; therefore, it is
subject to the design criteria set forth in the Comprehensive Plan as discussed above.
C. Although design review is typically conducted administratively for projects that do not
pass the SEPA threshold, this application is subject to design review by the ADB
because the applicant is requesting a modification to the sign code standards as allowed
by ECDC 20.60.015.8.
3. ECDC 20, 60 6Q n Code)
A. ECDC 20.60.005 provides the following definitions, which are applicable to the subject
proposal:
a) "Projecting sign " is any sign attached or affixed to a building or wall in such a
manner that its leading edge extends more than 12 inches beyond the surface of ,such
building or wall.
b) "Wall sign" is a sign that is attached or affixed to a wall and that is parallel to and
not projecting more than 12 inches at any angle from such wall. Wall signs include
signs that are painted directly upon a Tall.
B. The proposed sign is considered a projecting sign because the top of the sign is proposed
to be mounted to the mansard roof at a distance of over 12 inches from the mansard roof
(Exhibit 6, page 3).
C. The matrix in ECDC 20.60.020.L indicates that projecting signs are permitted for the
"Downtown" neighborhood, which includes the subject site. Thus, the type of signage
proposed is allowed. It is simply due to the applicant's request to mount the sign higher
than the maximum height allowed by the sign code that the proposal is before the ADB
for review.
D. Pursuant to 1 -'CDC 20.60.025.A.4, "The maxinzurn number ofpermitted permanent signs
is three per site, or one per physically enclosed business space on commercial sites with
multiple business tenants, whichever is greater". The total sign area of all signs permitted
on-site must also comply with the max6num total permanent sign area specified in this
chapter. " The applicant is proposing only one projecting sign at this time, which will
replace the existing wall -mounted sign. Therefore, the proposal will not exceed the
maximum number of signs allowed for the site.
E. No illumination is proposed for the sign at this time (Exhibit 5).
F. Pursuant to ECDC 20,60.040.13, the maximum allowed height for any projecting sign
within the BD zone is 14 feet. The applicant, however, has requested a modification to
this standard in order to be able to mount the sign on the mansard roof so that the top of
the oval portion of the sign is 14'-7 '/2" above ground level and the top of the anchor (the
highest point of the sign) is 16'-7'/z" above ground level (Exhibit 4), Thus, the applicant
is requesting to mount the sign 2'-!'/2" above the maximum height allowed by the code.
Page 4 of 6
Rory's of Edmonds Sign Proposal
Pile Number: ADB -2009-40
G. ECDC 20.60.015.13.1 requires the ADB to review sign permit applications that request a
modification to any of the standards in Title 20.60. The ADB shall only approve
modification requests that meet all of the following criteria:
a) ECDC 20.60,015.B. La: "The request is for signage on a site that has a unique
configuration, such as frontage on more than two streets or has an unusual
geometric shape, "
b) ECDC 20.60.015.B.1.b: "The subject property, building, or business has site
conditions that do not afford it the opportunity to provide signage consistent with or
similar to other properties in the vicinity. "
c} ECDC 20.60.015.B.1.c: "The design of the proposed signage must be compatible in
its use of materials, colors, design and proportions with development throughout the
site. "
d) ECDC 20.60.015.B.1.d: "7n no event shall the modification result in signage which
exceeds the maximum normally allowed by more than 50 percent. "
H. The applicant has submitted a criteria statement that partially speaks to the above items
(Exhibit 4).
1. The request is for a site that has frontage on two streets, including Main Street and
Sunset Avenue North (Exhibit 2).
J. The site is arguably unique compared to other sites within the area in that the site slopes
downwards, while the building remains at one level. As shown in Exhibit 8, the top of
the roof along the southern fagade is approximately 3.5' higher at the west side of the
building than at the east side of the building. Additionally, the applicant has stated
concerns over vandalism of the new sign, and the way in which the building is designed
does not afford the applicant with very much space to mount a wall sign in a location that
would be out of reach of vandals (Exhibit 4). The mansard roof appears to be the only
location out of reach, so a projecting sign mounted to the mansard roof is the best option
for avoiding vandalism of the new sign.
K. The proposed sign is compatible with the existing building. The background of the sign
face is a natural wood color, which will blend ill with the cedar shingles of the mansard
roof. The writing on the sign is black, and there are no bright or garish colors proposed.
The anchor gives the sign a nautical theme, which is compatible with the building's close
proximity to Puget Sound and the ferry terminal.
L. ECDC 20.60.015.B.1 allows the ADB to increase the maximum allowed sign area to a
maximum of 50 percent of the amount normally allowed; however, the applicant has not
requested an increase in the maximum allowed sign area for the site. The total area of
the proposed sign including the anchor is 15.65 square feet (Exhibit 5), which is below
the maximum area of 16 square feet allowed for projecting signs within the BD zone
(pursuant to ECDC 20.60.040.A). Pursuant to ECDC 20.60.025.A, the maximum total
sign area allowed for the site is one square foot per lineal foot of wall containing the
main public entrance. The applicant has provided the length of the southern fagade (the
wall containing the main entrance) as 60 feet (Exhibit 5); therefore, the maximum total
allowed sign area for the site would be 60 square foot. The proposed 15.65 square foot
sign is well below the maximum total area allowed for the site.
M. Staff feels that the project can be approved, with conditions, so that all of the
modification criteria of ECDC 20.60.015.B, discussed above, are met.
Page 5 of 6
Rory's of Edmonds Sign Proposal
File Number: ADB -2009-40
IX. RECOMMENDATIONS:
Based on the analysis and attachments to this report, staff recommends APPROVAL of the sign
package and proposed awnings provided in file ADB -2009-40 with the following conditions;
1. The height of the proposed projecting sign from ground level to the top of the anchor shall
not exceed 16'-7'/2". The sign must comply with all other applicable standards of the sign
code.
2. The applicant must apply for and obtain all necessary building permits. This application is
subject to the applicable requirements in the Edmonds Community Development Code. It is
the responsibility of than applicant to ensure compliance with the various provisions contained
in these ordinances.
X. EXHIBITS:
1. Staff Report to AD13
2. Zoning and Vicinity Map
3. Land Use Application
4. Applicant's Statement
5. Email from Applicant
6. Sign Plans (pages 1 to 3)
7. Photo of Proposed Sign
8. Photo of South Facade of Building
XI. PARTIES OF RECORD:
Mr. Elton Roundhill Planning Division
11000 Wachusett Rd.
Woodway, WA 98020
Page 6 of 6
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The undersigned applicant, and his/her/its heirs, and assigns, in consideration on the processing of the application
agrees to release, indemnify, defend and hold the City of Edmonds harmless from any and all damages, including
reasonable attorney's fees, arising from any action or infraction based in whole or part up011 false, misleading,
inaccurate or incomplete information furnished by the applicant, his/her/its agents or employees.
By my signature, I certify that the information and exhibits herewith submitted are true and correct to the best ofnly
knowledge and that 1 am authorized to file this application on the behalfofthe owner as listed below,
SICINA'I'lJl{Fi OF' Al'I'LIC'AN'r/Acil:N'r DATF' e-17-07
Property Owner's Authorization
By my signature, F certify that I have authorized the above Applicant/Agent to apply f'or the subject land use
application, and grant my permission for the public officials and the staff of the City of Edmonds to enter the subject
property for the purposes of inspection and posting attendant to this application. / q
SIGNATURE 01: 6 OWNER DATH =// /q
This application form was revised on 1127/00. To verify whether it is stili current, call (425) 771-0220.
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Exhibit 3
Rory's of Edmonds LLC
105 Main Street 3
Edmonds, Wa 98020; June 19, 2009
l
This letter is in regards to: Proposed sign installation location
City of Edmonds (ADB)
121 -5th Avenue North
Edmonds, Wa 98020
Architectural Design Board
Dear City of Edmonds (ADB):
This letter is in regards to a height restriction issue for the placement of our new sin at
Rory's of Edmonds. My wife and I purchased this business and opened on ,Tune i 2,
2008. We have been diligently cleaning up and streamlining the image of our new
business.
In early September 2008 we replaced our roof. The work that was performed included the
replacement of the cedar shake roofing on the mansard and when this was done a sign
was removed that faced Sunset Avenue (to the west). It was offset to the south side of the
roof just over the deck seating area so that potential customers exiting the ferry (heading
east) could have a visual of it. This sign was painted plywood and had an area of no more
than 16 SF. This sign was damaged upon removal and so far we've never replaced it. The
height of this sign exceeded the requirement pursuant to ECDC 20.60.040.13 as the sign
and roof height from finished grade (sidewalk) was approximately 16%8" instead of the
14' allowed.
We also have a sign facing Main Strect that's at eye level as you enter the ramp towards
the main entrance door, This sign was vandalized in May this year and is missing letters
as a result. I do not believe that any sign low to the ground will he free from vandalism as
even our outdoor menu specials board in a similar spot has been destroyed more than
once, which is why we have coinc to the conclusion that our new sign needs to be up on
the mansard.
I hand built this new sign and it took significant working hours to achieve the results so I
would like to avoid altering it, I kept the square footage requirements in mind when
constructing it and did not think that the height would be an issue as the cast facing sign
had been up there prior and has not been replaced. It has been brought to my attention
that removing the anchor might be a solution but even that will not work as (lie sign
height and attachment method make the top of the oval sign flush with the top of the
mansard at 14'-7'/z", This location above the front door is the only one that serves our
purpose because it is visible to the most traffic/customers. If this sign is allowed above
our main entrance door then we will not need a sign facing Sunset Avenue and of course
will have no worries about anyone destroying our sign, The overall height of our sign as
currently constructed and in the proposed location will be 16'-7 ''/2" from ground level.
We and our staff at Rory's would greatly appreciate the approval from you to attach our
sign in this location. We also would like to say thank you for your time and thoughts in
reviewing our request.
Best regards,
Eltoi�hill
Member/Manager
Rory's of Edmonds LLC
Exhibit 4
ADB Review for Rory's Sign Page 1 of 2
Machuga, Jen
From: Elton Roundhill [e.roundhill@comcast.net]
Sent: Friday, July 17, 2009 10:28 AM
To: Machuga, Jen
Subject: RE: ADB Review for Rory's Sign
Hi Jen,
The information requested is in the package that I had put together for the ADB review. There will be no
illumination necessary at this time. Please let me know that you have received this or ifthere is
anything else needed.
ELLIPTICAL SIGN
LENGTH: 5'3"
WIDTH: 3'8"
AREA: 15.11 SQ FT
ANCHOR
TOTAL LINEAR MEASUREMENT 6'6"
WIDTH: 1"
AREA: 0.54 SQ FT
TOTAL AREA: 15.65 SQ ij`r
MAIN STREET LINEAR. FOOTAGE OF MAIN ENTRANCE: 60'
DISTANCE FROM GROUND LEVEL TO TOP OF SIGN: l6'-11/2"
Thank you,
Elton Roundhill
Cell: (425) 8793023
Fax: (245) 542-1242
E-mail: e.roundhill @comcast.net
Address: F.O. Box 339
Lynnwood, llPa..98036
-----Original Message -----
From: Machuga, Jen [mailto:Mach uga@ci,edmonds.wa.us]
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 6:19 PM
To: Elton Roundhill
Subject: ADB Review for Rory's Sign
Hi Elton,
mailed the attached letter to you today, but wanted to email it as well to make sure you receive it as
soon as possible. I do need information on a few quick things, but as long as you can get that to me by
7/22/2009 Exhibit 5
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Exhibit 7
Exhibit 8