Signage Variance Request NarrativeCHANHASSEN SPECIALTY RETAIL-Outlot B VILLAGES ON THE PONDS 4TH ADDN
REQUEST FOR VARIANCE TO PERMIT 42” WALL SIGNAGE LETTER HEIGHT ON NORTH AND WEST ELEVATIONS
Venture Pass Partners, LLC has submitted for Site Plan Approval and Subdivision (Plat) for the 2.71 acre Outlot B VILLAGES ON THE
PONDS 4TH ADDN, including the development of a 23,520 sf specialty retail store. The architectural design and exterior building
elevations as submitted incorporate wall signage on four allowable building elevations, as follow:
North-Fronting Pond Promenade and visible to Hwy 5 to the north.
West-Over main entrance and fronting the parking lot, also visible to Market Blvd.
East-Fronting Main Street
South-Fronting Lake Drive
Signage on each elevation is proposed as individual internally illuminated channel letters, 42” in height on the North and West
elevations and 30” in height on the East and south elevations, and placed in a consistent fashion/signage band detail. The total area
of each sign as proposed is well below the allowable signage area as per City ordinance, as illustrated and enumerated on the
attached exterior elevation drawings.
A variance is required due to a clause in the VOP Development Design Standards, restricting wall letters to a maximum of 30” in
height. While this standard may be suitable for small shop space or for visibility and legibility from directly abutting streets or at
pedestrian scale, this is far too limiting and ineffective for our proposed use. We also feel that it is not of a scale consistent with the
massing and dimensions of our proposed building. It should also be noted that when the Pond Promenade PUD was approved in
1996 it was one of the pioneering new urbanism projects in the Metropolitan area. During this period communities and planners
had a general attitude that merchant signs should be minimal and generic. The current trend as evidenced by the relaxing of most
municipal sign codes is that adequate signage is not only critical to a merchants success but can add vibrant and creative design
elements to a project while adding distinction and variety to a neighborhood. Highly visible and legible signage is critical to the
success and viability of a grocery operation with a regional draw. This parcel as situated has critical sightlines to Hwy 5 and to
Market Blvd, however it is set back from Hwy 5 by approximately 550’, and from Market Blvd by approximately 620’. Providing
effective identification and signage to passing motorists is essential. Signage, if restricted to 30” letter height, will prove ineffective
and unacceptable to the user.
Research as compiled by the United States Sign Council, studying legibility of signage parallel to roadways from moving vehicles is
summarized in the table below. This table only calculates recommended letter heights up to a distance of 400’ from the roadway,
however even at 400’ (highlighted in yellow) the recommended legible sizes exceed 80” in height. The 42” height that we are
requesting is obviously well below this recommendation, but it will provide some level of effectiveness that could not be achieved
with the 30” restriction. The 42” height is also consistent with other locations of our tenant, and in keeping with their minimum
standards. For additional reference I also highlighted in red the effective distance for viewing signage with 30” letters. This
approximate 100’ distance is consistent with my comments above, suggesting this sizing is suitable for pedestrian scale or viewing
from directly abutting roadways.
Additional research into the effective sizing of signage letters, from the basis of static straight on viewing also supports the 42”
sizing of the sign letters. Note on this table that from the distances we are offset from the major roadways, signage with the best
impact is 42” to 60” high. This does not take into account the limited viewing time that is possible when in a moving vehicle, or
when concentrating on driving the vehicle, as is accounted for in table above.