Design Review Board - Regular Meeting

And uh we have a full board present in person and online. So we'll call the meeting to uh order. Um we have minutes from December 4th uh for approval. Like to make a motion to approve the minutes. So moved. Moved by Neil. Do we have a second? A second. Second by Dale. Thank you. Comments or corrections from anybody?

Okay. All right. All in favor of approving the minutes uh please say I. I. Chair votes I. Uh passes unanimously. Thank you very much. All right. Um new business. We've got uh 12 Senica Road. They are refacing the sign. There we received pictures. Um, do we have anybody from there uh presenting? Um, I believe someone was outside. Should I go check real quick? Yeah, if you would, cuz uh this would be the time to do it. Someone was just waiting out there. One moment. Is this the one we did before?

Same company. Um they are refacing the sign that is out out the street. It's a post sign. Post sign. There's an existing sign uh at the street. And maybe we can get Rebecca or Linda to put up that those pictures that were sent out. Work looked like it was a temporary sign. It sure did. That was my confusion. I thought maybe they needed a temporary sign because they were trying to open quicker and that they could get a one on the building, but it definitely looks like a temporary sign. Oh, there we go. There it is. There we go. Um, hello. Good evening, board members. No. Um, that was not the She was not here.

Okay. So, no, no representation from I did send the invite to Sinwiz, which was the, um, applicant who applied for the building permit and who, uh, had emailed me about being on the agenda for the design review board, but they were, I guess, unable to attend. I did not hear that they were going to make it or not. So,

not sure where it stands, but we do have it on the agenda. Um, I do believe that it will be coming to us at some point soon again. So, this would be a good time. It would be up to the board if you'd like to either um table this until uh the applicant is present or if you'd like to continue um and have enough information to make a decision whether or not um you'd like to uh consider this. Yeah, I'm I'm okay with considering it, you know, with our comments at this point. I'm seeing nodding heads, so we'll we'll continue. Um ju just before each one of us comments, I was I was going to ask Linda to just give us a little background.

Sure. Um as to how the um uh the BCD, the center district um our guidelines pertain to this particular Okay, Linda, you have some I do information.

I do have information. I just want to say that I know um our director, John Coleman, is uh with us via virtually. I'm not sure if he has anything to say first, but um I'll kind of hand it over to him first just so that he is able to either uh speak andor um and I can after uh speak on this application. John, would you like to do you have anything to say or would like to report anything on on the sign? Uh, not specifically other than, you know, I think you and I discussed I think we have um concerns about um the u the rental um information being placed on the sign. It really just ought to be an information identification sign and not a and not an advertising sign per se for uh booth and sweet rentals available. So I would I would um prefer and recommend to the committee that um they consider um not having that as part of part of the sign but just have the uh elite uh name and you know spa hair and nails. Um other than that, um I will defer to you, Linda, to um give them a brief on the town center and um and the relationship to um to um the the U application this evening.

Okay. Um again, good evening, commissioners. Um and for the record, uh for those viewing, my name is Linda Lauraniano, assistant director of building and land use. Um the applicant before us is an application for a reface of a an existing non-illuminated um the reface of an existing non-illuminated freestanding sign at 12 Senica Road. Um the proposal consists solely of replacing the sign face panel while while m maintaining the existing sign uh structure, location, height and footprint. Um there uh are no increase in sign area, height or um number of signs being proposed. Um the zoning uh regulations um that are applicable um within the Bloomfield Center District. This property is in the BCD, which is Bloomfield Center District. um is article four um uh I'm sorry article article four of the regulation sections um this is wrong I'm so sorry no article 4 is the Bloomfield Center District section 41J signs um and um and also section 6.3 signs uh in the regulations those are basic standards but I do want to point out that in the BCD uh section 4.1J it does talk about um the uh the signs that are polemounted are discouraged. Um you know the BCD uh the construction uh should be more of a monument type sign. Um, I know this is an existing sign and they're asking for a reface, but the this commission, if they so wish, could

recommend more of a monument type sign um as outlined in section 41J. Um, I I do want to state that uh that it is written in the regulations. In addition, um the other requirement is that the signs um must not have any advertising advertisement of the business or business slogan. And that is also in section 41J number seven. Um and so with that it states that the identity the of the business just the sign uh the business name and the street address shall be on the sign. Um so wi with those two um requirements under said section um staff uh again is not opposed to the reface but would um I guess recommend that the board considers um the sign to just be the business sign and the address versus um all of the advertisement and or slogan. That's it. Good.

Thanks, Linda. Thank you. All right. Uh, comments from board members and somebody like to go first.

Well, I think my comment I'm glad you clarified the advertisement part of it. Certainly with a little helicopter, it's my my comment is it looks like a temporary sign and just because it was there and they're now be facing it, it looks to me like it far from what we would think a business district sign should look like freestanding. I would rather see something more. You called it monument. I would rather see if they are allowing presenting signs to have a base that's worthy of what would sign district uh center district be and and this doesn't appear to be that. So just because it's existing I I don't think it mandates that we can should continue something that's substandard in in in its frame framing and base. Also you mentioned in six uh freestanding science in section six mentions landscaping the base. It doesn't look like it's anything but stone mulch. So it it appears out of character to me with the downtown.

Okay, Steve.

Uh yeah, I mean unfortunately we are dealing with an existing condition and that sort of diagonal brace makes you wonder if is that there because it was a little tipsy to begin with and if it if it is tipsy and needs repair, are they going to repair it appropriately or are they going to try to do something else? Um, so that's, you know, I wasn't sure if polemounted meant, you know, the single pole or if just the two posts also would be considered polemounted. Um, but again, that diagonal makes me a little uh concerned as to whether or not the structural stability of that sign is going to be long-term. Um, and then on the graphics of it, I believe that where it says booth and suite rentals now available again, when what if they're not available? Are they going to cover that up? So, I I definitely believe based on item uh seven of the regulations that that portion of the sign um should probably not be in place. Anything to do with booth rentals and and that advertising information I I think is inappropriate for the street sign. Um whether or not that means they can do something in a window again as something temporary. Um, I know there are some regulations as like a, you know, the the sandwich signs that they can maybe put out front as a temporary solution to advertise a booth rental, but I I do not feel that something of that nature should be on more of a permanent type of a sign. I'm okay. I I I believe with the spa hair and nails, you know, just to give be a little more descriptive for people driving by. Um, because with just elite, you don't know. and the massage and wellness is still probably a little harder to read as you as you drive by. So, I wouldn't be opposed to the spa hair and nails, but I I I do feel that the booth and suite rentals is inappropriate for the the street sign.

Okay. Thanks, Steve. Um, I did look at it today and and I can tell you that that diagonal brace is not there and that the wording on the sign does not match either one of the two photos that we have. It it says I forgot what it it's the elite is there, but it's got some other wording on the sign right now. It's been refaced on some sort of basis and but it doesn't match either one of these. So, I don't even know which one was the original and which is the proposed here. I'm not not sure, but it doesn't it doesn't really matter. I um

um I I will uh let Neil take his turn. Well, I I agree with everything everybody said. uh in particular Dale's comments about being appropriate within the district uh were um so uh the the other questions I have are sort of technical. What's the sign made of? And is it a two-face? Is there another side to this sign? And what's its orientation to the street and the building? Can you since you were over there, Mark, can you kind of fill in those blanks? Yeah, it um it is two-sided.

Yeah, I believe there is a you know matching sign on the other side. Uh and um in this photo you can see that uh it's fairly close to the curb line of Senica Road perpendicular to the road. Does it meet zoning regulations for that, Linda? The location. Yeah, there must be uh distances away from the road. Um way 15. Yep. It should be from right of way. Yes.

I I can tell you that um uh both of the banks um financial institutions on Senica Road have postmounted signs, uh two posts at their driveway entrances. They're directional signs. Uh correct. And but they're, you know, they're artistically done, if you will. you know, they're um you know, they they have nothing temporary looking about them at all. Um so, if there's any standard to be set here,

I would hope it could be, you know, something along those kind of lines that are that are that are there. Um these these wooden posts, as you know, everybody brought up, I just it just reeks of temporary. Yeah. I I do want to add um that Windsor the Bank as well as Wells Fargo within the last year both redid their monument freestanding signs. They're both internally illuminated, but uh it it did get a brand new new branding. A new branding with and the sign bases are new and everything. That's correct. Right. Is there is there some cons? Oh, go ahead, Neil. I'll let you

Well, I'd be happy if they put their address on here, too. A couple of discrete numbers would be handy, I think, for um anybody who's seeking their address. And my other question is, does this sign match the sign that they have on the building in graphics and everything? Didn't Didn't we approve a sign on the building? The elite Yeah, I'm sorry. I do want to speak on that. Yes, the sign. Yep, you can speak. He has a picture of it. Yeah, Steve Steve brought along a picture from the previous application. Yeah. So, the building signage is just the the logo on the left and it says the Elite Massage and Wellness

and that's the limit uh uh to the the building sign. That's kind of why I I said adding the Spa Hair and Nails. I wouldn't mind just because driving by it makes it a little more obvious because it does not appear they have that noted on the building. Um, but I certainly don't think a QR code is appropriate for street sign people stopping and running out of their cars. So that's why I feel that that that information is more appropriate for either a temporary window sign regulations allow or a sandwich board if that's allowed.

Um, yeah. I perhap are the two photos we're looking at are they intended to be what's going to be on one side and what's going to be on the other side? We don't know, do we? I I the intention was to kind of just give you options as to which one would the commission be most, you know, willing to to approve. I see. I see. Now, is there options? Does the do our regulations give a consideration to refacing versus new signs? No. Um it's it's pretty much treated as a new design. Okay. Then then I then I think our comments about temporary

Yes. um are in order. Yes. Or totally in order um because they're simply can't reface. Yeah. it. We really need to look at it like it's a new new sign and this is not of the caliber of town center that anybody is thinking of. That's great. Okay. Well, ask him ask him to come back based on our comments, right? And um

do we need to make a motion or do we just uh ask record the comments and ask them to come back? Um, I guess you can record the comments and ask them to come back. And if they do not come back, then at this point you can perhaps consider denying uh their proposal. Yeah, I think I mean basically we're making recommendations to you know this is as I understand it this will be a staff review. U well they will come back to the board to present the monument type sign. Oh, if okay if they're doing

I would the recommendation I guess for tonight would be to table this application to allow the um or to continue it to the next uh meeting actually not table but continue to the next meeting to allow the uh applicant uh time to I guess present a new design that is more in line with the BCD district. Um, we can certainly do that, but as I understand it, they could simply move forward without any further action from us. Is that true? Um, and just submit. And I mean, it's really up to, you know, the planning department is what they do with this application

and and you're correct with that um aspect, but I think that staff would like the recommendation of the board and would consider it. um in their approval. Right. Yes. Right. So, okay. Staff would ask that this board makes a recommendation. Um John, your thoughts?

Yeah, I agree. I think um Mr. chairman, that uh it's entirely appropriate for you to um table this application, have direct the staff to um report your um concerns and recommendations back to the applicant and have the applicant return um if they so desire. And I think this, you know, um the staff um take seriously what this what this board recommends and um we will do that. All right. Would somebody like to make a motion on that? Certainly. Do I have to make a motion of what things we discussed or

No, no. I I I I think you know as as John just said to either continue the discussion, take into consideration our concerns about it not being appropriate in the BCD district and removing any advertisement um elements on this sign and hopefully come back with a new monument base sign and have it appropriately landscaped and based as other signs are in the town. All right. Moved by Dale. Do we have a second? Second. Second by Steve. Any further comments? All in favor of the motion, please say I. I. Chair votes I. It is unanimous. Oh, Neil. Yeah. No, I said I. That's what I Thank you. I thought Okay. Thank you. Okay.

Appreciate that. Um, old business. Do we have uh Uh, do we have an update perhaps on what's happening in town? Can we uh Sure. put that under old business. I thought we talked briefly about having Butler's proposal on Bloomfield Avenue coming back for a soft presentation. I didn't know if that was yet scheduled or not. That's is that considered old business?

Well, yeah. Well, what we said was that um new members would be updated on that. We don't know exactly when he's returning. Maybe you have more information in John or Linda on that.

Uh we do not have a definite date yet. Um but we do know that he's getting ready to come back with a with a presentation. Um in terms of um um we can certainly Linda we can certainly provide them with the u governance report that we've sent out that that would be that would sort of give them a an update of I'd send them both a six month and a one month. We do a report every month to the governance committee on on building and land use development. Um, from memory, um, sort of the big ones, Arbella is well underway. Um, the development at out out on Watkins Road is well underway. Um, the, um, small retail five unit complex on Cottage Grove Road just east of uh, Northwestern Drive is underway. Um, Rfield Hollow is is completed. Telus 2 is completed. Um we have um Paul Butler um is getting ready to come in. We've had conversations with um potential developer for 800 Cottage Grove Road. That's where the existing older office park is for um a um a rebuild uh for about 215 uh units of housing. Um and uh that that is um that is progressing. Uh the first cathedral um is um is starting their land use uh re review. Uh the first thing is some some text amendments. um the uh town center. Um in just early December, uh the town resubmitted an application for a community investment fund grant for a little over $19

million. And um to the uh Department of Community Development at the state and a decision on that will be made in um in March. And obviously we're hoping to get a a positive response. We did not on the first one, but we were encouraged to resubmit and it is slightly less than we asked the first time because we sharpened the pencil. Um, as the chairman knows, the library is up and operating. It has some HVAC some challenges. Um, what am I forgetting, Linda?

Uh, thank you pretty much. Uh, we've had some pre-development meetings. Um but that's here nor there. Um you pretty much had all the I could we most significant ones

I think of we we end the report with what we call by the numbers which is the number of building permits and their value. I think we had I don't remember the number of building permits that we had from July 1 to December 30, but I do know that the value construction value the value of the permits themselves was u 1.4 million and that's that exceeds what we had projected for the year for the fiscal year ending in June and the construction value was over hund00 million. So there's there's a lot going on in town and there continues to be a lot of interest and um I think you you get a fuller picture when you uh receive the um the two sort of governance reports that we send out monthly to the governance committee.

Is there anything active within the uh within the business district that our board governs or deals with? I think the uh the the closest thing would be um phase four Port Butler's Neil. Okay. And tell me what the um which re uh office development that 800 Cottage Grove Road is. the one of basically at the corner of Cottage Grove and Bloomfield A. The one with the with the scattered buildings, the um park

they were they were uh deck house uh two and three twotory uh right one and twotory. Yeah. Sticker and Kvecio. Remember them? Yep. And uh let's see. For those Neil, you wouldn't see there there is activity at Popeye's, but we have the slightest idea when it's going to open. Good. They're there a week and then they're not there for two weeks and then they're there a week. It's a it's an interesting construction schedule that they have there.

For the future, is there anything that can be done in terms of uh that sort of slowboat uh process? um they you know they came they didn't come hatin they came with a proposal it was approved through the system and now they're you know just dragging their heels for it's it's an eyesore for way too long. Yeah. It's basically just um I beat you know I um I contact them regularly to see how they're doing but they they're within their legal time limits. They are. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Okay. That's a lot of housing it sounds like. general

there is yeah we're looking at you know 5 600,000 and the other thing that's going on in general is we are um we are beginning the process um and it'll probably hit the TPZ in March of responding to um the new housing legislation for affordable housing and the potential conversion of uh non-residential space to residential uses um potential for mobile type homes. Um we need to um you know make sure that we uh continue to um protect the town's ability to control its own destiny. So there will be some zoning regulations.

Okay. Was any of that addressed in the um in the in the big plan the uh well in in general it's addressed but this you know the specifics um you know it's an implementation strategy. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Sorry. All right, John. Thank you for the update. Do we have any other old business? I don't know of any. Okay. All right. Well, I want to thank everybody and let's um have a motion to adjurnn. Motion to adjurnn. Moved by Dale, second by second

Steve. Thank you very much. All in favor, please say I. Hi. Hi. All right, we are adjourned. Thanks everyone. Thank you everyone. Hi John. Bye. Um