PC Minutes 11-18-2014Chanhassen Planning Commission – November 18, 2014
Aller: December 8, 2014.
Aanenson: Correct.
Aller: Okay, so now we’re moving onto item number 3.
PUBLIC HEARING:
MEDICAL ARTS BUILDINGS SIGNAGE: REQUEST FOR SIGN PLAN
AMENDMENT ON .90 ACRES OF PROPERTY ZONED CENTRAL BUSINESS
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DISTRICT (CBD) AND LOCATED AT 470 AND 480 WEST 78 STREET.
APPLICANT: JONATHAN ADAM, SILVERSTONE REALTY & DEVELOPMENT,
LLC. OWNER: KEN TALLE, CHANHASSEN MEDICAL ARTS, LP/CHANHASSEN
MEDICAL ARTS II, LLC. PLANNING CASE 2014-34:
Al-Jaff: Chairman Aller, members of the Planning Commission. The subject site is located at
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the northwest corner of the intersection of Great Plains Boulevard and West 78 Street. Brief
background on the buildings that we have out there. In 1989 the City Council approved the
preliminary plat and site plan application for the Medical Arts Building. It was approved in two
phases. Phases 1 and 2 and Phase 1 was completed in 1990. And Phase 2 in ’92. Part of the site
plan approval for those two buildings was a sign plan for the overall site. The City wanted to
ensure that there was a detailed plan in place. This is, this was a fairly large building for
Chanhassen at the time and they just needed to ensure that things didn’t get out of hand and signs
weren’t all over the building. The one thing that we need to point out is at the time when those
buildings were built the main occupant was Ridgeview Medical and there were a couple of other
large users within the building. The developer at the time requested that the sign band facing
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78 as well as the parking lot be limited in how many signs it would include. Since then
Ridgeview, as you know built their own building and moved to the corner of Highway 5 and
Powers Boulevard. This building, these spaces started to get occupied by smaller businesses but
quite a few more within the building and we’re often faced with a request to put up a sign along
the building and within the sign band. Unfortunately when we look at the criteria that was
approved for the Medical Arts Building, our answer always has to be no. And we got to a point
where we picked up the phone and contacted the management company and said please request
an amendment to this criteria. This is not something that you find anywhere else in the city. All
of the buildings usually you will see a sign band and this is where you will have your signage so
what staff is recommending is we remove the limit on the number of signs. One of them is
currently the Phase 1 building is limited to 10 signs. Five on each side and the second one is
limited to 14, 7 on each side. Instead what we have is a sign band that is limited to 2 feet 2
inches and it doesn’t matter how many signs you can fit within that band as long as it meets the
criteria set in the, in this application then that’s fine. And just on another topic, I did do the math
for the overall area of the façade of the building and the percentage that will be occupied by
signage and it is way below what is permitted by ordinance so with that staff is recommending
that we remove the language limiting the number of signs on each face. Everything else within
that development will remain as is. And I’ll be happy to answer any questions.
Aller: How many tenants are we expecting to be in the facility?
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Chanhassen Planning Commission – November 18, 2014
Al-Jaff: When we spoke to the applicant, I mean they said what do you think if you limited it to
12? It’s a matter of how many they can fit on the façade and it’s really limited, they will only be
able to potentially fit 10 signs. I don’t believe they can fit in 12. And it depends on.
Aller: My concern is if it comes, something that looks like a gaudy, 10 different styles and
shapes and names in there and it becomes a detraction to what would otherwise be a nice
building.
Al-Jaff: You won’t be able to, the space is limited. There is a separation between each
individual letter. There is also, you want the separation between one sign and the other so when
you incorporate these, I tried to do the math to figure out how many signs you could potentially
put in there but then it depends on the length of the name of a business. Maybe you’ll have one
business that will just put up a logo and nothing else so I didn’t think that I can give you a
number. A solid number.
Aller: Nope but I’m glad that we’ve examined that and you’ve thought it through because that
was my first blush. Oh-oh, we’re going to have a bunch of signage in there and it’s going to
detract so any other questions?
Hokkanen: You don’t have a closer up picture of the signs do you? I mean I’m really familiar
with the buildings so I know what you’re talking about and I agree with you.
Aanenson: I think the most recent one would be the MacPhail.
Al-Jaff: Yes.
Aanenson: Which is a nice sign.
Al-Jaff: Correct and that was located on Phase 1. And all the signs that you see there, it is
letters that are 24 inches and in compliance with ordinance.
Aller: And this doesn’t change any of the other conditions that would be placed on it by
ordinance.
Al-Jaff: None. None.
Aller: Any additional questions? Comments. Okay. We’ll hear the applicant. Would the
applicant like to step forward? Welcome sir.
Jonathan Adam: Thanks. I’m Jonathan Adam, 165 Louisic Court, Chaska, Minnesota. I’m with
Silverstone Realty. I’m the leasing agent for the two buildings and I’m also here representing
the owner tonight. Thanks for the time. As Sharmeen mentioned we ran into this problem
recently when we started switching over these buildings to become more multi-tenant than single
tenant related. Especially at the 470 building which is a two story building. That sign
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requirement only limited us to 5 signs on the 78 Street side which became a big problem which
we weren’t fully aware of because this dates back to 1990. So going forward what we have been
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Chanhassen Planning Commission – November 18, 2014
doing is managing the tenants based on size requirements so if you have a larger tenant like
MacPhail or Health Source which are our two biggest tenants currently in the building, we’ve
reserved the canopy kind of areas for them so we’re not just giving everybody the opportunity to
have a sign so we do limit that in some ways so we won’t have you know just a plaster of signs
everywhere. We do reserve them for the larger tenants so I think that’s all I really have. If you
have any questions I’d be happy to answer them.
Aller: No, I think we’re looking good. Thank you sir.
Jonathan Adam: Okay.
Aller: Okay. We’ll open the public hearing. Anyone wishing to come forward, speak either for
or against this item can do so at this time. Seeing no one come forward we’ll close the public
hearing and open it up for comments.
Aller: My concern’s been addressed. It’s being properly managed for basically market driven
and aesthetics and everything else hasn’t changed so.
Hokkanen: Well and thank you to staff for being proactive and asking the owner.
Aller: So with that unless anyone has anything else I’ll entertain a motion.
Hokkanen: I will. The Planning Commission recommends the City Council approve the
attached sign plan for the Medical Arts Buildings, Phase I and II, located on Lots 1 and 2, Block
1, Medical Arts Addition.
Aller: I have a motion. Do I have a second?
Undestad: Second.
Aller: Having a motion and a second. Any further discussion? Hearing none we’ll go to the
vote.
Hokkanen moved, Undestad seconded that the Planning Commission recommends the City
Council approve the attached Sign Plan Criteria for Medical Arts Buildings Phase I and II
located on Lots 1 and 2, Block 1, Medical Arts Addition; and adoption of the attached
Findings of Fact and Recommendation. All voted in favor and the motion carried
unanimously with a vote of 7 to 0.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commissioner Hokkanen noted the verbatim and summary
Minutes of the Planning Commission meeting dated October 21, 2014 as presented.
COMMISSION PRESENTATIONS.
Aller: At this point I’d like to congratulate Commissioner Campion on his election results and
his moving to the City Council for the next 4 years and I’d like to thank him for his work here on
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