Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good good evening and welcome to the Anaheim Planning Commission meeting of March 9th, 2026. My name is Christopher Walker, chair of the Anaheim Planning Commission. As a reminder, planning commission meetings are broadcast on all our channels, including online and an Anaheim TV channel 3. First order of business is to salute the flag.

Ready, begin. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Next, I will ask planning commissioner secret planning commission secretary to take a verbal roll call vote of all planning commissioners. Uh, chairperson Walker present. Vice Chair Tran Martin here. Commissioner Lieberman here. Commissioner Perez here. Commissioner Castro. Commissioner Abdul Raman here. Commissioner Kelly here. We have a quorum.

Thank you very much. If you'd please silence your phones so that they don't disrupt the proceedings, we would appreciate that. The doors at the back of the room are automatic. They open when you get close to them and they don't close until you have walked down the hall. Please move away from the doors as you walk through them so that they can close. Today we have one public hearing item on the agenda. I would ask members of the public who wish to speak on a public hearing item to please complete a yellow speaker card and give it to staff if you've not already done so. The cards can be found at the table at the entrance of the uh room. Uh please note that public comments are limited to three minutes. We ask that you keep your remarks as brief as you can. We are influenced more by the content of your testimony than the length of your presentations. First, we provide an opportunity for any member of the public to speak on items of interest to the public that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the commission and that are not on tonight's agenda. Is there anyone that wishes to speak? Seeing no one, prior to beginning the public hearing, I will ask that the planning commissioners for any disclosures they wish to make regarding the public hearing item on today's agenda.

I would like to disclose that um although I drive by the site regularly, I did go by there specifically today to see where the signs going. And I had about I had it was eight neighbors um some who live on Broadway and some in the immediate vicinity call me about this item. Anyone else? Very good. Please note that the actions taken by the planning commission tonight will be final unless an appeal is filed with the city clerk. The appeal deadline is Thursday, March 19th, 2026 at 5:00 pm. Appeal forms and information are available on the city clerk's web page. Now, I will begin the public hearing and ask staff to make a presentation on item one.

Thank you, Chair Walker. Good evening. Um, Chair Walker and members of the planning commission. Item number one before you this evening is a request for approval of minor conditional use permit to allow a monument sign with an electronic reader board and variances to exceed the permitted sign sizes for the Anaheim family YMCA, a recreational commercial outdoor facility at 1422 West Broadway. The 4acre project site is located in the public recreational zone and is designated for open space park land uses in the general plan. The gold star identifies where the sign would be located, while the white stars reflect the existing location of two driveway monument signs at entrances along Hassel and San Street. The surrounding land uses include a Union Pacific yard and railroad tracks to the north, Betsy Ross Park to the east, Betsy Ross Elementary School and auto repair to the south, and auto repair to the west. The sign would be located within an existing planter area along the north property line along Broadway, situated within a 32 foot wide landscape grass area, adjacent to existing soccer field and behind an existing 6ft tubular steel fence. The proposed doubleface monument sign incorporates an electronic reader board at the top. The readerboard sign would provide information on ongoing recreation programs, sports leagues, swim lessons, and other upcoming activities, as well as emergency alerts and community engagement programs. The display would be would operate between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. There are no proposed changes to the operation of the existing recreational facility as part of this request. The code permits monument signs up to 8 feet in height, 10 feet in width, and a maximum sign area of 65 square ft. The

proposed sign requires variances to exceed these standards with an overall height of approximately 22 feet and width of 12 feet and total sign area of approximately 250 square feet per sign face. Staff supports this request due to the site's location along Broadway, a heavily traveled secondary arterial roadway. The site is also adjacent to other vertical elements, including the sixoot tubular steel fence, and does not contain vertical buildings that would otherwise provide adequate sight visibility or identification. As such, strict application of the code would result in significantly smaller sign that would limit the sides the site's ability to provide clear and reliable identification and communicate programming to the passing motorists. Given the project site's location, as well as unique physical characteristics of the site, strict application of the code would deprive the property's ability to provide reasonable reasonably visible identification from Broadway. Furthermore, the sign has been designed in a manner that mini min minimizes potential impacts on adjacent properties and would be subject to conditions of approval to ensure it is operated and maintained in a compatible manner. The request satisfies the requirements for a minor conditional use permit and variances and would not result in adverse impacts related to traffic, parking or glare. Staff supports the request and recommends approval of the application subject to conditions of approval. That concludes my presentation. um staff and the applicant are available to answer any questions.

Thank you very much. Anybody have questions? Commissioner Lieberman.

Thank you for your presentation. Um this proposed sign is uh nearly two and a half times taller than code allows. It's over four times the square footage than code allows. And so I have to wonder when do you say enough's enough? When do you say too big is too big? How big can they go? When when you're what's your limit? You know, I think it would be a case by case basis. So as we evaluated this one, we understood that the YMCA and the soccer fields that are here are not just an Anaheim draw, but a regional draw. uh we understood that this was something that would would would uh serve you know the greater surrounding community. Um that with the fact that there's the fence height um we looked at recently uh St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church on Dale, which also had a six foot high rot irular steel fence. And you know, at with that one, we did evaluate, we looked at it, and we actually worked with them to bring it to a what we felt at the time was a manageable sign size. And the same thing here when we we saw this, we worked with the applicant, we talked with them, and we arrived at a science size that we thought was appropriate for the uh reader board. Um, and you know, there there there are uh plans from the YMCA to put a a building on the corner um for a small YMCA facility. At one time it was a little larger. I think it's kind of diminished over the over the the years, but the proposal is not here yet. Um a lot of these things are and I'll let the applicant talk more about that if necessary, but a lot of these are done um based on fundraising and things. So at this time there is no building there to also provide some kind of wall sign or something to identify this site. Um, and we wanted to make sure that people

were aware of that. Okay. So, you're telling me more signage to come. Uh, well, if it is, it's just going to be a minimal wall sign. Okay. So, who owns that tubular steel fence? This is a city- owned property, right? The entire property. Yes. The entire property, Betsy Ross Park and the YMCA property. The parcel that's we're discussing tonight is is owned by the city. It's under lease to the YMCA. So, the city acquired the home oil site. Yes.

And did all the abatement. Okay. All right. It's It's just I think it's too much. You know, it's basically Broadway with the exception of um you know, the the major intersections where you've got gas stations and uh is residential from Dale all the way to State College. You go out of the parking garage here. What's across the street? Houses. And so you you just got this giant sign. Um I have another thought, but now it went away. All right. Thank you. I would like to add that the original request was a little larger. Um, they did reduce the size and the height and the square footage to one that would be comparable to commercial centers that are approved in the area.

I remember what I was going to say. You're Scott, you made a mention about it's going to be a regional center, but the signage is only going to be seen by people driving down Broadway or the light amount of traffic on Manchester, you know, so bigger isn't necessarily better. Thank you. Um, just quick question. So, the top portion where it says summer activity scheduled, that's the actual electronic portion of it. And the portion that's the Y, that's just essentially going to be almost like a I I don't want to say a neon lit sign, but to that aesthetic,

it would be static. Yeah. So, it's the top portion is the electronic reader board. Okay. And then in In looking at this actual map, this is actually a good one. What is the height of the fencing? Uh or the black tubular steel 6 feet. Okay. So, it comes in right at where what is the Y portion? But do we have another angle or like a viewpoint from the street or Lincoln or further back? Um not with the rendering, but this is from Broadway. Okay. No. Located in that grass planter area.

Yeah. No, that's perfect. Um I I think also too I think um I I think initially the height is a little bit concerning, but I do think looking at the parameter of how that street bends, I I could see how um and that's probably the reason why the electronic was on top so that it was readable and made sure that people were able to see it from both sides of the street. Correct. Correct.

Okay, that's it for my questions. Thank you. All right. Uh the height is uh in terms of safety uh and the structure of the the sign that can withstand like uh heavy wind like that. Yes, it would be u designed to withstand the required wind load um according with the California building code. All right. uh for the permitted dimensions. Why the code asking for like certain dimensions? Why this one is more than the dimensions

um to achieve the visibility that the applicant feels that they need in order to um accommodate the reader board and for the programming that would be displayed on the reader board. They are requesting the additional size for the size increase.

All right, then. Thanks. You know, I'm no engineer, but it seems to me that if they move this sign closer to the fence, that the exposure uh the visibility from Broadway would be much greater than as far back as it is, which is 15 feet if I'm reading this correctly. And then they wouldn't need such a big sign. there is a required setback area that this is um staying outside of that area and preserving the setback.

I'm willing to bet that fence is in this required setback area too. Yes, this was granted um with the approval of the the variance was granted to allow for the fence in the setback area. And this is a little bit different than other park facilities is we don't you go by most of our parks and you don't see ch you know rot iron 2 steel fences around our parks. Um those are more passive parks. The this is a you know programmed with you know outdoor soccer facilities that we don't want people going to in the middle of the night type of thing. So that that was one of the reasons for that fence.

Anyone else? I have a couple questions. Where's the closest uh housing? How far is that away? Uh the nearest residential property is approximately 540 ft away. And the sign if it was only 10 ft would be 4 feet above the fence, I believe. Is that correct?

Yes. So, I mean, depending on the angle, you can see through the fence, but I don't think it'd be very good. Okay, I'm good. Anyone else? Can you Can the applicant please come forward? And I'm going to open the public hearing. No older than me. You have the railroad, you got Manchester, you got Hassel, you got uh you have a and you have a whole tree line. Very mature trees, very mature trees. Um they they will absolutely work in any kind of a light reduction, LED reduction, and reader board. The NIMS can be shut down during mean as to not affect the neighbors because nobody wants a light shining through their house and you know uh that's just not a good thing. Um I do know that the the reader board will serve not just the YMCA which has been around for over a

hundred years. It'll also serve the community on PSA if there's something that the railroad has to announce. If there's something, it is a handson instant real time scenario. There's no waiting for a public approval to put a message through the the authorized body, which it might be the railroad, it might be Betsy Ross Park, it might be the elementary school. Hey, we've got a problem here. Active shooter. I don't want to say that, but you've got a lot of things that can be instantly transmitted. And instead of deploying police and emergency personnel to block off the street, that sign will be readable for at least 500 ft legible. Uh, and that's very important because you've got you've got access points where people can turn, leave. Sorry. Hello. Sorry. Uh, I'm just saying there's a lot of benefit to the technology that has come out now. It's not the big bulbs like you saw in the in the early 90s and the in the early 2000s where it's blinding on and distracting. This is a clear and almost TV image communicating whatever might need to be communicated plus whatever uh the fundraisers, whatever uh the boot for the firemen, whatever you have going on within the city, you have access to that. that's 247 or it's, you know, it's 12. It's the time is up to the city. The message is up to the people that are putting it on the board. Advertising. I know this isn't a a city that allows off-site advertising. Um, should the city ever want to advertise,

there is a income potential there. I sold the first sign for Lominda LED message unit. They didn't want anybody else in the city to have one. But once I uh I I also sold the Ronald McDonald House sign, then there was a value there and they communicated together. So it was a huge value. uh they let they let it be known to the public when the uh hospital was going to start expanding or parking lots were going to be closing or street lights were going to be inoperable. So, public safety information, potential moneymaking for the city, um, and bringing attention to one of our oldest foundations that do a lot of good for the community. And I I leave on that note and I'll take any questions. Um, but I I represent a company that's been around since 1962. That's when I was born. So, I have a lot of faith in that for me. Well, it was a very nice pleasure talking with you and I really consider that that everybody please take Councilwoman's Liberman uh you know her her concerns seriously. Um, but I think that between 64 years of sign experience with the company and the wisdom you guys have that I'm sure there could be a really good come together with also an organization that does so well for the community. And I leave on that. If there's any questions, just feel free to give me a call.

Okay. Well, we may have some now. We'll see. Okay. Please. Yeah, I have a question for staff too. Um, we may need you later, but thank you very much. Thank you, sir. Question for staff. Yeah. So going um do we have to have an agreement with the YMCA if we want to display something per from the city or anything to that nature or can we display as we seek or or do we have to come to an agreement with the agency or YMCA?

The condition of approval that we have it says that the electronic read reports trying to be limited to on-site information, emergency alerts, and community engagement programs. So, um, you know, we we could request from the YMCA if there was some, you know, city benefit. This is under lease, the city owned property under lease to them. So, yeah, I think we could do that. Okay, that's it for my questions. Anyone else? Is there a condition of approval that the sign be toned down during certain hours?

Yes, there is a condition of approval. Um that would be condition number three that it be equipped with the light sensing devices um to adjust to brightness based on ambient lighting. And then in the evening it would be turned off um so it would only operate from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. and be turned off beyond those hours um which is condition four. Okay. Thank you. Anybody else? No, there's there's is does anyone There's no cards, right? We have a few. Um

Okay. Sorry. I didn't expect them. So, okay. Go ahead. Uh Ryan Smith.

Good afternoon, everyone. Uh I represent COING as well. I worked with uh YMCA in putting this together. I mean, Mike did a very thorough job just right now, so I have nothing further to add. Thank you. Then Mike McCracken and then or oh Brian Nash.

Hello everyone. I'm Brian Nash. I'm the director of engineering at Cosine and I've been there about 11 years now and I came mostly to be able to answer any potential questions you guys had about whether it be structural, electrical, anything of that nature which I believe a lot of it has been addressed but if any of you guys would like to know a little bit more about it, please feel free to let me know. Thank you. Thanks. That it all. Okay. Anyone else wish to speak? Okay, I'm gonna close the public hearing. Questions? I'll make a motion for approval. I second.

Anyone wish to speak? Guess we'll vote. Uh, five yes votes, one no vote um from Commissioner Lieberman. The motion carries.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Updates, please, Scott. Uh, no updates for you u this evening other than uh we do not have any items scheduled for the next planning commission meeting. So, we will be adjourning to the April 6th planning commission meeting.

I was going to add that. Yes. The last council meeting on March 3rd, the city council did uh approve by a vote of four to three the festival project and next city council meeting will be the second reading of the required ordinances for the project. Joanne, I want to thank you for about the meeting cancellation. You're welcome.

It enables us to make plans. Anything else? I think we're done. Thank you. That's what