HomeMy WebLinkAboutagenda.council.worksession.20120124 MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council
THRU: Chris Bendon, Community Development Director/ JIA,
FROM: Jim Pomeroy, Code Enforcement Officer
Sara M. Nadolny, Planner Tech
RE: Sign Code and Outdoor Merchandising
MEETING DATE: January 24, 2012
SUMMARY: The purpose of this meeting is to discuss with City Council the Sign chapter of
the City of Aspen Land Use Code, examine what aspects currently work, and which aspects may
need revision. Staff is seeking direction on signage issues and potential amendments to the
current Code. Staff will use this memo as an agenda to compliment a visual presentation, and
address each issue with Council.
BACKGROUND: The current Sign Code was adopted into the City of Aspen Land Use Code
in 2010. In response to feedback from local area business owners and realtors, Staff finds it an
appropriate time to reevaluate the current Sign Code to understand the concerns, and to evaluate
what does and does not work as the Sign Code is currently written.
WHAT IS WORKING:
• Blade Signs
• Sandwich Board Signs
• Sign Allotment per Business
• Cut -out Letter Signs
• Single Building — Multiple Tenants
Blade signs fall under the category of projecting or hanging signs, which are installed
perpendicular to the building frontage. Many businesses have exchanged their sandwich board
signs for blade signs as these are considered an exemption from allotment. No more than one (1)
projecting or hanging sign is allowed per business frontage, with a size not to exceed 6 sq. ft.
Staff believes that this is an appropriate level of allotment, and that the current code does not
need to be amended on this matter.
Sandwich board signs are only permitted in the Commercial Core (CC) and Commercial (C -1)
Zone Districts. They are only permitted to be displayed full time if a business has a "hard to
find" location or for a restaurant on private property. Retail businesses may also display
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sandwich board signs 8 weeks out of the year. These rules have dramatically reduced the
prevalence of Sandwich Board signs in the Core, and enhanced the pedestrian experience.
Many sections of the Sign Code detail per business sign allotment. Most businesses may have
up to 6 sq. ft. of sign allotment plus one (1) blade sign per frontage. Retail and restaurant
businesses with a frontage longer than 30' may have an allotment of 8 sq. ft. plus one (I) blade
sign per frontage. Staff believes that this system is much simpler than the former building -size
basis for sign sizes.
Questions:
a. Should businesses with a frontage that is either below or above the street qualify for
a different allotment?
b. Is the current 6 sq. ft. allotment sufficient?
Cut -out letter signs, whether on windows or awnings or walls, are counted at 50% in terms of a
business's sign allotment. This allows businesses to use their sign allotment in other ways, and
has the positive effect of reducing visual clutter in the downtown core area. Staff believes this
system is working.
In situations where there is a single building with multiple tenants, the Code allows but does
not require a building to have a uniform signage plan. This allows some building owners to
require a uniform signage look, and other buildings' signage to appear more "organic ".
REMAINING CHALLENGES
1. One space — multiple tenants
2. Sandwich Board Sign Questions
3. Window Wraps
4. Sign Lighting
5. Real Estate Signs
6. Outdoor Merchandising
1. Single Space — Multiple Tenants
Questions: When a situation exists involving a single space with multiple stores,
a. Should all business frontages be required to share a single sign allotment?
b. Should each business be allowed a separate sign allotment, regardless if they
share a single space?
c. Should different entities that are part of a single business (e.g. ski rental gear
and clothing sales) with a shared space have a change in sign allotment?
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2. Single Tenant — Multiple Spaces or Multi -level Spaces
Questions: When a situation exists involving a single tenant with multiple spaces or
multi -level spaces,
a. Should that tenant be allowed additional sign allotment?
b. Should the tenant be required to combine sign allotment for all spaces?
3. Sandwich Board Signs
Currently hard to locate retail businesses and restaurants are allowed one single sandwich board
to help them overcome the hardships associated with decreased visibility. This is a reduction
from the former allowance for all businesses to use a sandwich board. Some feel that this puts
the City in the role of providing certain economic advantages to businesses that make the choice
to locate in spaces with cheaper square footage. Others feel that by providing increased signage
in the form of sandwich boards, there is less likelihood of empty store spaces throughout the
City.
According to the current Code, sandwich board signs may be used continuously by particular
locations if:
a) Business has no portion of a storefront that is parallel to the public right -of -way,
b) Business is provided access through a common entryway that is not exclusively used for
said business, or
c) Business has a storefront that is obscured by another building, or portion thereof, on the
same lot (e.g. interior courtyard)
Question: Should this rule be kept the same or modified?
Currently sandwich board signs are allowed under certain circumstances only within the
Commercial Core (CC) and Commercial (C -1) zone districts. Requests have been made by
businesses in the Neighborhood Commercial, Commercial Lodge (CL), and SCI zone districts
for sandwich boards.
Question: Should the Code be revised to allow sandwich boards in these zone districts?
4. Window wraps
According to the code, Retail businesses with five (5) or more windows on a frontage may use
one (1) of these windows for a wrap that shall not count towards signage allotment. In order to
qualify for this exemption, the window wrap shall contain no lettering or advertising in excess of
three (3) square feet. This precludes window wraps that predominantly consist of lettering and
announcement of sales and encourages window wraps that predominantly consist of a singular
photographic image. No more than 25% of any other window on that frontage may be used for
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window advertising.
For the most part window wraps have fallen into 4 general areas:
• mixture of graphics and text designed for advertising;
• graphic only with little or no text, but designed to advertise the product being sold;
• graphic only with no connection to advertising; and
• combination of graphics and merchandise.
Question: Is there a consensus on whether one or more of these window wrap
categories are preferred within the core, and should the code be changed to reflect
this?
5. Sign Lighting
We are hearing from contacts in the business community that signs such as the Molly Gibson
Lodge or the Aspen Square Condominiums are in high demand, and that other businesses would
like similar signs. The lighting on these signs can be allowed under the current code, but only
thorough a very circuitous method.
Questions:
a. Is this sort of sign illumination favorable or unfavorable?
b. Does this sign produce too much illumination, just the right amount, or too little?
6. Neon - Looking Signage
The current Code prohibits the visibility of a sign's light source, as well as neon lights.
However, in some cases a neon sign style may be accomplished by the use of LED - lights or
strips. Currently the Code is concerned with regulating the technology behind the lights, thereby
allowing the neon - looking signs to be in compliance.
Question: Should the Code continue to regulate the technology behind the sign
lighting alone, or should it also regulate the look or effect of this lighting?
7. Real Estate Signs
There has been some discussion on the appropriate level of enforcement and size of real estate
signage throughout the City of Aspen, and whether the code needs to be changed. The current
Code states that the area of temporary real estate signage shall not exceed three (3) sq ft. When
multiple units are available, the area may be combined, but no one property shall have more than
twelve (12) square feet of signage announcing the sale or rental of units.
Currently enforcement actions only occur when there is a complaint — this is true for both size
and right of way issues.
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Questions:
a. Do we wish to continue with the current method of passive enforcement?
b. Should real estate signage be allowed to remain as is per the current Code
standards, or should it be scaled back in some fashion?
8. Outdoor Merchandising
In regards to outdoor merchandising, the Code currently allows retail businesses to place
representative displays outside of the stores, ie: mannequins, clothing racks, clothing bins so long
as it meets the Code of no more than 12 square feet of display, and no obstruction to the public
right -of -way.
Questions:
a. Should merchants be allowed to display outdoor clothing in any method they wish?
b. Do there need to be limits on outdoor merchandising on public property?
c. Is the current allowed square footage of outdoor merchandise appropriate?
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