title
BUTLER DEVELOPMENT MASTER SIGNAGE PLAN ADMENDMENT (B)
Ordinance No. 160679, Petition PB-16-169 PDA
An ordinance of the City of Gainesville, Florida, amending the Master Signage Plan that regulates signage within the Butler Development, a Planned Development (PD) zoning district that consists of approximately 267 acres generally located north of SW Archer Road, south of SW 24th Avenue, east of SW 40th Boulevard, and west of SW 34th Street; providing for enforcement; providing a severability clause; providing a repealing clause; and providing an immediate effective date.
recommendation
The City Commission adopt the proposed ordinance.
explanation
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT
NOTE: Page 17 of Exhibit A - "Butler Development Master Signage Plan" to the ordinance was amended after first reading, on July 6, 2017, to incorporate City Commission's requested changes.
This ordinance will amend the adopted Master Signage Plan that regulates signage within the Butler Development, a Planned Development (PD) zoning district that consists of approximately 267 acres generally located north of SW Archer Road, south of SW 24th Avenue, east of SW 40th Boulevard, and west of SW 34th Street. On November 21, 2013, the City Commission adopted Ordinance No. 121108, which rezoned Butler Development to PD. PD is a zoning district that may be adopted with customized land development regulations, such as a unified signage plan, which are intended to promote and address unique and innovative development that is not provided for in the Land Development Code but is nevertheless consistent with and promoted by the City of Gainesville Comprehensive Plan and is otherwise in accordance with law. Accordingly, Butler Development PD Ordinance No. 121108 included certain custom signage regulations but also included a provision that allows the developer to submit a Master Signage Plan in lieu of the PD signage regulations, subject to review and approval by the City Commission. On January 15, 2015, the City Commission adopted Ordinance No. 140501 to adopt the Butler Development Master Signage Plan that is being amended by this ordinance.
This ordinance amends the Butler Development Master Signage Plan by expanding the amount of signage currently allowed. The applicant has indicated that the purpose of the changes is to meet the needs of the end users and to enhance the development's presence and visibility on I-75. The proposed changes include:
- Increasing the width of the "Landmark Sign" (I-75 highway sign) structure without increasing the permitted sign area.
- Increasing the number of building signs allowed per tenant from 3 to 4.
- Increasing the allowable sign area on the sides of buildings without an entrance from 32 square feet to a proportional amount of signage based on the length of the building side (up to 200 square feet per sign and 400 square feet in aggregate).
- Allowing digital and electronic format signs that are visible from public or private streets. (Previous provision restricted the use of these signs to kiosks or booths that were not visible to motorists.)
- Minor increases to other pedestrian oriented signage.
The City Plan Board, on January 26, 2017, held a public hearing and voted to recommend that the City Commission approve the amendments to the Master Signage Plan.
CITY ATTORNEY MEMORANDUM
This ordinance requires two hearings and shall become effective immediately upon adoption at second reading.