SALT LAKE CITY HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION Minutes of the Meeting
Room 326, 451 South State Street
A roll is being kept of all who attended the Historic Landmark Commission Meeting. The meeting was called to order at 5:29:26 PM. Audio recordings of the Historic Landmark Commission meetings are retained in the Planning Office for an indefinite period of time.
Present for the Historic Landmark Commission meeting were: Vice Chairperson Polly Hart, Earle Bevins III, Thomas Brennan, Arla Funk, Heather Thuet and Charles Shepherd. Chairperson Sheleigh Harding and Commissioner Robert McClintic were excused.
Planning Staff members present at the meeting were: Michaela Oktay, Planning Manager; Joel Paterson, Planning Programs Coordinator; Janice Lew, Senior Planner; Ray Milliner, Principal Planner; Michelle Moeller, Senior Secretary and Paul Neilson, City Attorney.
FIELD TRIP NOTES:
A field trip was held prior to the work session. Historic Landmark Commissioners present were: Earle Bevins, Heather Thuet and Polly Hart. Staff members in attendance were Joel Paterson, Michaela Oktay, Janice Lew and Ray Milliner.
The following locations were visited:
• Smiths, 402 6th Ave - Staff gave an overview of the project.
• Trolley Square - Staff gave an overview of the project.
DINNER
Dinner was served to the Commission and Staff at 5:00 p.m. in room 126 of the Salt Lake City and County Building.
REPORT OF THE CHAIR OR VICE CHAIR 5:30:11 PM
Vice Chairperson Hart stated she had nothing to report.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 5:30:17 PM
Ms. Michaela Oktay, Planning Manager, stated the January HLC meeting was scheduled for January 2, she asked the Commission if they would be willing to change the date of the meeting to better accommodate the public.
The Commission stated they would like to meet on the third Thursday both in January and July.
Mr. Joel Paterson, Planning Programs Coordinator, reviewed the applications for the proposed three new Historic Districts in the Yalecrest area, explained the process for the applications and stated they should be brought before the Commission in January for review.
APPROVAL OF THE NOVEMBER 7, 2013 MINUTES 5:32:20 PM
MOTION 5:32:45 PM
Commissioner Bevins moved to approve the minutes of November 7, 2013, with the corrections. Commissioner Thuet seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
PUBLIC COMMENTS 5:33:02 PM
Vice Chairperson Hart opened the Public Comment period, seeing no one in attendance wished to speak, Vice Chairperson Hart closed the Public Comment period.
PUBLIC HEARINGS 5:33:20 PM
Staff explained the Applicant for the Smith’s Monument Sign petition was not in attendance. The Commission agreed to hear the other petitions and allow time for the Applicant to arrive.
5:34:21 PM
Trolley Square Water Tower Signs at approximately 602 East 500 South - SK Hart Management, represented by Lynn Attwood, AIA, is requesting approval from the City to remove the existing movie theater signs on the north and south sides of the water tower and replace them with electronic message signs. The applicant also requests a special exception to modify the size and placement of the new sign faces. This type of project must be reviewed for a Certificate of Appropriateness for construction in a Historic District and because the applicants are requesting a special exception which must be authorized by the Historic Landmark Commission. The subject property is an individually listed landmark site on the City Register and located in the Central City Historic District, in the CS (Community Shopping) zoning district and in City Council District 4, represented by Luke Garrott. (Staff contact: Janice Lew, 801 535-7625, or janice.lew@slcgov.com)
a. MAJOR ALTERATION - In order to build the proposed project noted above, a certificate of appropriate is required. (Case number PLNHLC2013-00854)
b. SPECIAL EXCEPTION FOR MODIFICATION AND PLACEMENT OF NEW SIGNS - The applicant has proposed to locate the new electronic signs higher on the water tower and than the existing movie theater signs. In order to modify the sign, the size or the sign placement, the applicant must receive special exception approval which can be authorized by the Historic Landmark Commission. (Case number PLNHLC2013-00952)
Ms. Janice Lew, Senior Planner, reviewed the petition as presented in the Staff Report (located in the Case File). She stated Staff was recommending the Historic Landmark Commission deny the petition as presented.
The Commission and Staff discussed if there was an option to mount the sign on the building and not the water tower and what the standards would be if that was done. Staff stated the electronic message sign was not appropriate for the historic character of the landmark site.
Mr. Matthews reviewed the proposal and the changes to the water tower lighting were given a Certificate of Appropriateness. He stated the Property Owner was looking to upgrade the property substantially and would be coming to the Commission for approvals on future projects. Mr. Matthews reviewed the signage on the property and the proposal for the new sign on the water tower. He stated the existing sign was an eyesore and needed to be updated. Mr. Matthews stated the digital sign was appropriate because Trolley Square was a shopping center, with businesses on all sides, and it would help the tenants at the square. He stated the intent was to bring in customers and the proposal was for the latest technology. Mr. Matthews reviewed the technology for the sign, the operation and the cost savings of the sign. He stated they would be willing to work with the Commission on the brightness of the sign and its location.
Mr. Bill Baker, Impact Signs, reviewed the use, construction and materials of the sign. He explained the technology and the benefits of the new signage.
Mr. Matthews stated the sign would not be video or animated, it would be static with an eight second rotation and could be used for public information or community announcements as well as the advertisement of the tenants of Trolley Square.
The Commission and Applicant discussed the proposed elevations of the sign.
Mr. Matthews stated the intent was to have the sign be visible over the trees. He stated they would work with the Commission to make the existing sign frame work digital if that was the desired direction of the Commission.
The Commission and Applicant discussed if any other options had been considered and why those options did not work for the site.
Mr. Matthews stated the alternative would be a static, generic sign, which would not benefit the tenants of the building. He stated they had looked at re-facing the existing sign but due to its nature it would not be ideal for the proposal or site.
Mr. Bill Baker, Impact signs, stated it was a concession for Trolley square to redo the sign, the proposed sign would fit inside the existing sign and would take care of all the tenants without the use of multiple signs on the property.
Mr. Paul Nielson stated the Applicant had explained the benefits to Trolley square but did not address how it met the standards for approval. He asked the Applicant if they would like to review how the proposal met the standards.
Mr. Matthews stated Trolley Square was a commercial building, the signage use on the water tower was consistent historically and would not change with the proposal. He stated the proposal would give the owners more control over what was displayed and enhance the existing sign.
The Commissioners discussed the maximum height for a pole sign, if a pole or monument sign had been considered and if a different sign location been considered.
Mr. Matthews re-stated the question of where it may be feasible and of which building could the sign be mounted on. He stated that due to the existence signs on the water tower other locations had not been considered.
The Commission and Applicant discussed if rotating the sign was considered. The Applicant stated they considered wrap around signs, different displays that used the existing framework and replacing the sign with something similar to the existing sign.
PUBLIC HEARING 6:10:03 PM
Vice Chairperson Hart opened the Public Hearing.
Ms. Cindy Cromer reviewed the history of the trolley sign on the bridge, located on 600 South. She stated the water tower was a historical element and changing signs were a distraction to drivers. Ms. Cromer stated if the sign ordinance did not cover issues such as this, it needed to be amended. She stated the current shape was awkward and a new sign would not turn Trolley Square’s business around.
Mr. Matthews stated the Owner was not anticipating the sign alone would turn Trolley Square around however; it will benefit the tenants and the City more than what existed. He stated the Commission had the ability to approve the petition under the current guidelines and the sign would enhance the area.
Vice Chairperson Hart closed the Public Hearing.
DISCUSSION 6:13:33 PM
Vice Chairperson Hart asked Mr. Paterson to review the sign ordinance and guidelines for the area.
Mr. Paterson reviewed the ordinance and standards for signs and the rotation time for the static images.
The Commission and Staff discussed the standards for illumination or light output for the signs.
The Commission discussed the existing signage and asked what the overall sign strategy was for Trolley Square and if the Property Owner would be asking for additional signs in the near future.
Staff stated the Staff Report indicated there was a master sign plan for the complex from the 80’s. Staff stated they would like a sign master plan for the site and the Commission could request one be submitted.
The Commissioners stated there was concern over the overall plan for signs at Trolley Square and how the existing signs would be addressed. They stated the proposal should meet the current standards; electronic signs were not historically appropriate for the area and were too distracting to drivers. The Commission and Staff discussed the definition of animation in the sign ordinance. They stated the water tower was unique and the proposed sign should be complimentary to the site it was advertising. The Commission asked what would happen if the sign was not approved and asked the Applicant if he would be willing to submit an overall sign plan before the sign was approved.
Mr. Matthews stated the sign master plan was approved 30 years ago and that he did not have a copy of the plan.
The Commission asked Mr. Matthews if they would be willing to put together a sign plan.
Mr. Matthews stated they were currently working on a plan and would be requesting approval for exterior changes and additional signage both indoor and outdoor in the near future. He stated they would like this sign considered on it’s individually and its own merits as the existing signage was not acceptable and the proposal represents a much needed improvement.
The Commission and Applicant discussed the importance of making the sign master plan comply with the Historic District Sign Guidelines and if the Applicant would prefer the Commission deny the proposal or table the discussion allowing them to return with new options.
The Applicant stated if the vote was to deny the proposal, then perhaps it would be better to come back with an overall plan.
The Commission discussed if it was better to have an overall plan for the site or an alternative option to the proposal. They discussed tabling the petition and allowing the petitioner to address the concerns.
MOTION
Commissioner Funk stated regarding PLNHLC2013-00854 and Special Exception PLNHLC2013-00952, consistent with the Staff recommendation the Historic Landmark Commission believed the sign did not meet the standards for signage in the historic district, therefore she moved that the petition be tabled for further discussion, at a future meeting, Staff and the Historic Landmark Commission will continue to work with the Applicant to modify the petition in a way that addresses the Commission’s concerns. Commissioner Shepherd seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
The Commissioners stated they would like to work with the Applicant to accommodate their needs and help the tenants of the building. They discussed the need to advertise each business individually and the importance for the signage to compliment the building.
The Applicant stated the intent would be to highlight each tenant and they would put their best effort to comply with the standards. He stated they would bring a sample of what the sign would do to the next presentation.
The Commission stated the physical sign was the key discussion point not the content of the message on the sign. The Commission clarified that they nor the City regulate the sign message content.
6:44:38 PM
Smith's Monument Sign at approximately 402 6th Avenue - Smith's Grocery Store represented by Richard Forsyth, is requesting Historic Landmark Commission approval to modify an existing monument sign facing E Street at the above listed address. The proposal would convert the sign from externally illuminated to internally illuminated. No changes to the size or shape of the sign are proposed. The property is zoned CB (Community Business). This type of project must be reviewed for a Certificate of Appropriateness for construction in a Historic District. The subject property is within Council District 3, represented by Stan Penfold (Staff contact: Ray Milliner at (801) 535-7645 or ray.milliner@slcgov.com. Case number PLNHLC2013-00558).
Mr. Ray Milliner, Principal Planner, stated the petitioner was not in attendance. He stated the Commission could either proceed with hearing the petition or table the petition to the next meeting.
The Commission discussed tabling the petition to the January 2014 meeting.
MOTION 6:45:47 PM
Commissioner Shepherd stated regarding PLNHLC2013-00558, based on the fact that the Petitioner was not present and the petition was recommended for denial, he moved that the Historic Landmark Commission table the petition to the January 16, 2014, Historic Landmark Commission meeting. Commissioner Funk seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
6:46:06 PM
Central City Reconnaissance Level Survey Update - Salt Lake City has engaged Certus Environmental Solutions, LLC to evaluate the buildings in the Central City Historic District and the Historic Landmark Commission will consider accepting the final report of the survey. The district is roughly bounded by South Temple, 900 South, 500 East and 700 East. (Staff contact: Janice Lew at (801) 535-7625 or janice.lew@slcgov.com).
Ms. Janice Lew, Senior Planner, reviewed the petition as presented in the Staff Report (located in the Case File). She stated Staff was recommending the Historic Landmark Commission accept the survey as presented.
The Commission commended Ms. Lew on a job well done.
MOTION 6:48:12 PM
Commissioner Thuet stated regarding the Central City Historic District Reconnaissance Level Survey, she moved accept the survey as presented. Commissioner Brennan seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting stood adjourned at 6:48:53 PM