CCP 10-15-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Case #01-25, Guidant Corporation October 9, 2001 Page 2 Staff made an effort to find similar situations in other communities. The following were found: e Valley Fair in Shakopee As one can imagine, a use such as Valley Fair provides unique planning challenges for a community. In speaking with Shakopee's City Planner, he indicated that Valley Fair is currently within a Planned Unit Development in which overall signage on the property is addressed. Prior to the property being located within a PUD, Valley Fair had applied for and received variances for signs that did not meet the City's height or area requirements. Maplewood Mall and 3M building in Maplewood Currently the Maplewood Mall has three 100 foot high signs on the property. These signs were approved as variances. In addition, the logo on the 3M building is displayed just below the roofline. Maplewood staff was uncertain about the overall height of the building. Like Guidant, the above two examples are unique to their respective communities. Staff also contacted two water painters to see if they had ever painted a private water tower, particularly a private water tower with a logo. Aside from a few examples in rural areas, they were not aware of any other private water towers. LOl!O Visibility e At the September 24,2001 City Council meeting there was significant discussion surrounding the visibility of the logo outside the Guidant campus. As stated in the previous staff report, this water tower by its height, placement at the rear of the site, the arrangement and height of the existing buildings on the site, the mature vegetation along both Lexington and Hamline, and the steep change in grade to the east and west, is for the most part visible only to those already on the Guidant campus. The view from the nearest residence, the apartments across Lexington, is buffered by the mature trees on the perimeter of the Guidant site, as well as the orientation of the apartments, and the berms on plantings on that site. Along Hamline, the effected residences are at the end of the Indian Oaks Circle cul-de-sac. This is approximately one-half mile from the water tower. The Guidant tower is not seen from Wynridge Drive or Wynridge Court, where the larger and closer City water tower is part of the horizon. The view from Cummings Park is blocked by the change in grade and vegetation in the Park. To address the issue oflogo visibility, the applicant has provided information from the United States Sign Council outlining the minimum required letter height for the sign to be visible from a specified distance. This table has been attached for your review, and reproduced below for easy reference: e