SPECIAL
MEETING
NOVEMBER
8, 2000
The
Planning Commission of the City of Weed held a special meeting on Wednesday,
November 8, 2000, at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.
Chairman
Virgil Tuman called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Present, in addition to Chairman Tuman were
Commissioners Richard Acquistapace, Harold Baltar, Jack Colombana, Jess
Gonzales, and Karen Heiser. Also
present were City Administrator Earl Wilson and Planning Commission Secretary
Deborah Salvestrin.
Chairman
Tuman invited comments and/or questions from the audience, and noted that no
action could be taken by the Commission except to set the matter presented for
the next regular Commission meeting.
There were none.
Chairman
Tuman called for Commissioners to declare conflicts of interest on any item on
this agenda. There were none.
A. Use Permit for off-site advertising sign --
Steve Anderson, 800 Shastina Drive:
Planning Commission will consider an application for permit for one 30’
x 24’ x 45’ back to back off freeway display sign. City Administrator Wilson reviewed that this
item has been continued from November 1.
Discussion continued regarding location and lighting.
Commissioners
questioned how far south the sign would have to be to allow a sign on the
City’s property. Staff did not have the
specific property sizes available at the meeting. Commissioners questioned whether Council has determined it will
offer community interest type advertising, and that also was unknown.
Commissioner
Heiser questioned the staff recommendation concerning review of the sign after
one year for light issues that may arise and Steve Anderson stated that the
signs will have a new kind of lighting and should not pose a problem.
Mr.
Anderson requested approval of the north site stating not only that he would
have to object to the City doing a commercial sign as competition with the
private sector. Mr. Anderson added that
he thinks the City property would not have the required distance per the City
ordinance and CalTrans requirements.
After
continued discussion, the Commission finds that signage is an important design
element of the physical environment, and while there is a strong economic
component to signage, there are aesthetic and social considerations as well,
and moreover, provisions consistent with the goals and objectives of the
community are necessary to ensure the economic needs, character and image of
the community can be attained. The
Commission also finds that the establishment, maintenance or operation of the use
applied for will not, under the circumstances of the particular case, be
detrimental to the health, safety, morals, comfort and general welfare of the
persons residing or working in the neighborhood of such proposed use, or will
not be injurious or detrimental to property and improvements in the
neighborhood or the general welfare of the city.
Commissioner
Acquistapace moved, seconded by Commissioner Gonzales, approval of the
application for sign use permit subject to the following Conditions and
Notations:
a. The permit shall be reviewed in one year to
address lighting issues that may have arisen after installation.
b. All signs for business owners who go out of
business, or discontinue the particular line of business or service advertised
in the sign, shall be dismantled and removed within thirty days of such going
out of business or service, by the owner of the building or property. In case of the failure of the owner to do
so, the city will cause such sign to be dismantled and removed, and the cost of
this shall be borne by the owner of the building or property.
c. Outdoor advertising structure or sign shall
not display or makes use of the words "stop", "danger", or
any other word, phrase, symbol or character in such a manner as to interfere
with, mislead or confuse traffic.
d. Signs shall not have red, green or amber
lights that could be confused with traffic signals.
e. The city council is authorized and empowered
to revoke any permit issued by the city administrator or his duly authorized
agents, or the planning commission upon failure of the holder to comply with
any of the provisions of this section.
Revocation proceedings shall be conducted as detailed in Sections
18.32.140 and 18.32.150.
f. Signs shall be suspended so as to leave a
clearance of at least ten feet perpendicularly above all sidewalks, and a
clearance of at least fourteen feet perpendicularly above all driveways, and
shall not extend beyond a point of two feet inside the outer or curb line of
the sidewalk; provided, however, that no such sign shall be suspended at such a
height so as to interfere with the illumination from street lights erected and
maintained by the city.
g. All signs shall be maintained in good repair
and have a neat appearance.
h. It shall be the responsibility of the sign
owner to clean up any and all debris resulting from a failure of a sign.
i. Sign permits shall not be issued until
fifteen days have elapsed from the granting thereof, and in case an appeal is
filed from the planning commission decision thereon shall not be issued until
decision has been made by the city council on such appeal.
j. Sign permits shall not have any force and
effect until the permittee acknowledges receipt thereof and acceptance of any
conditions thereto.
k. After the required 15-day waiting period, a
building permit must be obtained prior to installation. Engineering for the wind-loading requirement
may be required as determined by the building inspector.
After the appropriate appeal period has
ended, the applicant may submit for building permits.
All structures shall be constructed and
improved in accordance with the approved drawings and sketches.
All landscaped areas and boxes shall be
maintained.
The approval of a use permit shall expire
one year from the date of its approval unless one of the following actions
occur:
a. The applicant applies for a building permit
in accordance with the approved plans prior to the expiration date.
b. The applicant applies to the planning
department for an extension of the approval prior to the expiration date.
Section 18.32.120 of the Weed Municipal
Code provides an appeal procedure in the event the applicant or any other
person is not satisfied with the action of the planning commission.
AYES: Commissioners Acquistapace,
Colombana, and Heiser
NOES: Commissioners Baltar and Gonzales
ABSENT: Commissioner Dillingham
Commissioner
Heiser asked staff to look at the red light at Layton’s Liquors to see if it
complies with sign ordinance requirements.
Commissioners Baltar and Tuman volunteered that the light is a hazard or
warning light on the corner of the roof to guard against it being hit.
Commissioner
Gonzales moved adjournment, and Commissioner Baltar seconded the motion.
AYES: Commissioners Acquistapace, Baltar,
Colombana, Gonzales, and Heiser
NOES: None
ABSENT: Commissioner Dillingham
MEETING
ADJOURNED AT 7:25 P.M.