Town Center L3B3-CS040318 CITY OF COPPELL
PLAIN'NING DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
CASE: Town Center Addition, Lot 3, Block 3, Site Plan
Amendment (First American Bank)
P& Z HEARING DATE: March 18, 2004
C.C. HEARING DATE: April 13, 2004
STAFF REP.: Gary L. Sieb, Planning Director
PRESENTED BY: Matt Steer, City Planner
LOCATION: Along the east side of Denton Tap Road, approximately 325 feet
south of Parkway Boulevard.
SIZE OF AREA: Approximately 1.13 acres of property.
CURRENT ZONING: TC (Town Center)
REQUEST: Adding two new signs to an existing 5,000-square-foot bank
building.
APPLICANT: Chandler Sign, Inc. First American Bank
Jim Hagle Cliff Whisenhunt
3201 Manor Way 2800 S. Texas Ave.
Dallas, Texas 75235 Bryan, Texas 77801
(972) 739-6518 (972) 361-3507
FAX: (214) 902-2044 FAX: (972) 419-3334
HISTORY: This property, as well as surrounding properties, was zoned TC
(Town Center) in the mid 1980's. To the north is Princeton Park, a
two-building office complex that was approved in 1997 and
developed in accordance with our ordinances. In 1998, a site plan
was approved for Eleanor's Square, the shopping center located to
the south. A combination of the landscaping provided on-site and
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within the medians of Town Center Boulevard and Town Center
Drive fulfilled the landscape requirements.
TRANSPORTATION: Denton Tap Road is a P6D, six-lane divided thoroughfare within a
100-foot right-of-way. Town Center Boulevard has 28-foot-wide
pavement within a variable right-of-way. Adjacent to the subject
property is 37 feet of right-of-way.
SURROUNDING LAND USE &ZONING:
North- Princeton Park offices—TC (Town Center)
South - vacant property and Eleanor's Square shopping center —TC
(Town Center)
East - Coppell Justice Center—TC (Town Center)
West - Huntington Ridge subdivision - SF9-PD 129R
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan shows the property as suitable for
neighborhood retail uses.
DISCUSSION: This application is a request to amend the site plan on an existing 5,000-
square-foot bank building with five drive-through lanes located under a
1,500-square-foot canopy. Specifically, the applicant wishes to add more
signage to the building. If approved, this request would allow two
additional attached signs to be mounted on the face of the structure--one
on the west side facing Denton Tap Road, and one on the south side of the
First American Bank building. The sign proposed for the south elevation
would be 25.7-square feet in size and contain a First American stylized
"A" logo with the letters of the bank spelled out. As submitted, this sign
meets all requirements of the Zoning Ordinance including size, percentage
of logo and font style.
The west facing sign in and of itself meets our sign criteria, although staff
would have preferred the sign to circle the arch above the existing logo.
Following the arch would compliment the entrance to the building and the
shape of the logo design (see attached sketch). The owner prefers the
horizontal design shown in his elevations. In addressing the existing logo
(which First American wishes to retain), it must be pointed out that it is
much too large and violates the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance.
Specifically, when First American went through the initial site plan review
process, they elected to not have any letter signage on the west side of the
building. Instead, they proposed a logo which contained the stylized "A"
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First American is known for. Since that review, the logo has been
constructed and placed on the front of the building. Based on the Zoning
Ordinance regulations allowing a logo to be 20% of total signage, the logo
could be 4.8 feet in size. The existing logo is 27.5 feet, thus, far in excess
of what is legal.
The oversized logo can remain, but it is now a legal non-conforming sign.
That means if it is destroyed, torn down or removed for any reason, it
could only be reinstated by a 4.8-foot replacement. With that
understanding from the applicant, and a note to that effect placed on the
sign exhibit, staff could support the proposed new signage, although we
feel letters following the shape of the arched entrance would make a more
profound design statement.
RECOMMENDATION TO PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION:
Staff would prefer signage similar to the attached sketch. If that
recommendation is unworkable, then we could recommend APPROVAL
of this request, subject to the following conditions:
1) Place note on face of signage exhibits that states the logo
becomes a legal, non-conforming sign and if damaged,
destroyed or removed for any reason, the logo will have to
abide by the then current signage regulations.
ALTERNATIVES:
1) Recommend approval of the request
2) Recommend disapproval of the request
3) Recommend modification of the request
4) Take under advisement for reconsideration at a later date
ATTACHMENTS:
1) Sign Package (2 pages)
2) Sketch of suggested sign placement
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