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 City of Hermosa Beach --- 12-12-00SUBJECT: TEXT AMENDMENT 00-1
Planning Commission Recommendation
Background At their meeting of November 21, 2000, the Planning Commission considered the proposed amendment and voted 5:0 to recommend that the Sign Ordinance language remain unchanged. At their meeting of October 10, 2000, the City Council directed staff to initiate consideration of the subject amendment. The proposal to allow signs above the second story was requested in connection with the proposed sign program for the new retail building located at 1303 Hermosa Avenue adjacent to the North Pier Parking Structure. Chapter 17.52 of the Zoning Ordinance pertaining to signs includes the following restriction for commercial signs in the C-1, C-2 and C-3 zones:
The underlined portion of this section was added as part of the comprehensive amendments to the Sign Code approved by the City Council in 1993. The focus of the amendments at that time were to reduce the potential negative impact of too many commercial signs in the downtown and other commercial districts.
Analysis The developer of 1303 Hermosa Avenue has requested the proposed change because the subject code section prevents the installation of signs on the third story. The developer and tenants desire sign locations on the banding above the third floor office windows, which they believe are more visible, and because locations on the lower floor are limited. In 1993 the Sign Code was amended only after several public hearings, which included the incorporation of detailed input by the Chamber of Commerce. The amendment to the subject section was part of the effort to deal with aesthetics and sign proliferation in commercial districts. This change was consistent with the action to reduce the height of pole signs in the C-3 zone. 1 The subject building and the adjacent Bijou building are two of the 3-story commercial buildings in the City which are effected by this requirement, as shown on the attached photos. Any change in this requirement would also effect the proposed new hotels on Pacific Coast Highway. Some of the buildings constructed prior to 1993 have nonconforming signs on the third story. The only 3-story building constructed since the code change is the Beach House Hotel located on the Strand. The developer was required to lower the signs from their desired location near the roof to the uppermost part of the second level. In making this request, the developer of 1303 Hermosa Avenue provided examples of signs on three-story buildings and several two-story buildings. The three-story buildings with signs on the third level were permitted prior to the 1993 Code change. The two-story buildings shown have signs located on parapet walls or architectural towers that are part of the second floor are allowed pursuant to the Sign Code, as they are not "located above the second story". This demonstrates that this code section is somewhat ambiguous, as two-story buildings that have architectural towers, parapet walls, or clear stories with high ceilings may appear to be equal to or higher than three-story buildings. 1 The amendments included reducing the allowable height of pole signs from 35 feet to 20-feet or the height of the building whichever is the lesser height .
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