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PLANNING REPORT 0 DATE: 6 April 1988 CASE NUMBER: 1833 APPLICANT: Solar 'Nash Inc. LOCATION: North of Larpenteur, Easterly of Hamline (see sketch) ACTION REQUESTED: Request for Variance to Sign Location PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS: 1. Solar Car Wash, as you will recall, was built several years ago on a fairly difficult site, immediately west of the Ramsey County Detention ponding area, and immediately north and accessible to Larpenteur Avenue. Two months ago, the City approved an expansion of this site by providing additional parking on contiguous property to the north. 2. The initial development was designed with the intent of having the signage for the site on the building, which is setback from the Larpenteur Avenue right-of-way a distance of 60 feet. The Brannon's, who own and 'operate the site (in addition to several others in the metropolitan area), now wish to add a pylon sign. The land is zoned B-3 and the pylon sign is permitted with a setback of 30 feet, a maximum height of 25 feet, and a maximum sign area of 100 square feet. 3. Their problem is that the design of the site is such that the location of the sign 30 feet back from the right-of-way is difficWt. Their proposal places the sign can the east end of the row of parking in the front of the structure where customers "hand dry" their cars after leaving the car wash. There is a curbed peninsula on the east end of this row of parking and, if the sign is placed here as proposed, it will be setback 15 feet from the public right-of-way. 4. If a parking space is eliminated and the curb extended to encompass this space, the setback could be increased perhaps by 6 to 8 feet. The Brannon's do not want to sacrifice a car space in this area where they feel each space is essential to the functioning of the car wash. Members of the Planning Commission and Council may wish to question them regarding this possibility at the public hearings. 5. At the east side of the site, a parking space could be eliminated and a sign put up 30 feet back. However, the trees easterly of the site make this part of the site less visible. 6. The good news is that the proposed sign is to be 16 feet high and 70 square feet in area. Thus, the sign is lower and smaller than is allowed by zoning right. This would seem to mitigate some of the impact on the sign being closer to Larpenteur Avenue.