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C-1v. Retail Pickup SignageCITY OF C HANHASSE N �✓ Chanhassen is a Community for Life-ProvidingforToday and Planning for Tomorrow MEMORANDUM TO: Planning Commission FROM: MacKenzie Walters, Assistant Planner DATE: May 15, 2018 ©Ln SUBJ: Onsite Pickup/Drive Up signs Proposed Motion: "The Chanhassen Planning Commission recommends that the City Council adopt the attached ordinance amending Chapters 1 and 20 of the City Code." ISSUE Many retailers are offering customers the option to buy goods online/remotely and then have the goods loaded directly into their car onsite. Chanhassen's existing provisions regulating directional signage do not align with industry trends for these types of signs. BACKGROUND In an effort to compete with Amazon and other online retailers, many brick and mortar stores are increasing their online presence and allowing customers to shop online and pick up their purchased goods at a local store. Many of these retailers have started to designate specific area of their parking lot as pickup/drive up areas where customers can have their pre -purchased goods loaded directly into their car without having to get out and enter the store. Since these pickup locations are located within the parking lot and can be surrounded by vans, sport utility vehicles, and other taller cars, signage guiding customers to these locations need to be tall enough to be visible over nearby vehicles. Industry trends seem to be for these types of pickup signs to take the form of a pillar or covered pole around thirteen feet high; however, the city's sign code limits onsite directional signage to five feet in height. Staff recommends amending the sign code to allow for this new form of signage. REVELANT CITY CODE Chapter 1 — General Provisions — Section 1-2.- "Rules of construction and definitions. " PH 952.227.1100 • www dchanhassen.mn.us • FX 952.227.1110 7700 MARKET BOULEVARD • PO BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN • MINNESOTA 55317 Planning Commission Onsite Pickup/Drive Up signs — City Code Amendment May 15, 2018 Page 2 of 8 Chapter 20 —Zoning, Article XXVI. —Section 20-1255.- "Signs allowed without permit. " ANALYSIS Issue 1: Height The city's sign code limits on -premises directional signage to a maximum height of five feet. This height limit reflects the fact that these signs are meant to visible for vehicles navigating the site's internal circulation and drive aisles, and are not intended to be highly visible from surrounding sites nor do they need to project above obstructions. A typical use for the directional signage permitted by the City Code is identifying the entrance to a fast food restaurant's drive- through aisle or directing trucks to an industrial building's shipping/receiving area. Pickup signage needs to higher because it is located in the middle of the parking lot, rather than alongside intra -site thoroughfares, and vehicles will often be parked alongside it as they wait for purchases to be loaded. In addition to the vehicles actively using the pickup area there may be other occupied parking areas between the lot entrance and the designated pick up area. Since personal vehicles can range between four and a half and six and half feet in height depending on make and model pickup area signs need to elevate their display area above nearby vehicles to be visible. Staff believes that allowing a maximum height of thirteen feet will allow pick up signs to elevate their display area above potentially obscuring vehicles, while preventing them from being so tall as to be highly visible from offsite locations. Issue 2: Placement The only location restriction placed on directional signs is that they "be so located such that the sign does not adversely affect adjacent properties (including site lines or confusion of adjoining ingress or egress) or the general appearance of the site from public rights-of-way". Businesses typically use directional signage to help visitors navigate their parking lots, and this means it is usually located near entrances/exits, drive through aisles, or other areas where internal circulation can become confusing. Pickup signs serve a different function because they are intended to serve as beacons drawing customers' attention to the location of the business's pick up and drive up areas. This means that pickup signs tend to be located within an area of the parking lot near the businesses' entrance, and it is not expected that businesses will attempt to locate these signs near the edges of their property. In order to minimize the possibility of businesses using these types of signs for advertising purposes, staff recommends that the language controlling the location of directional signage also be applied to pick up signs, along with a requirement that pickup signs be located within the parking lot. Planning Commission Onsite Pickup/Drive Up signs — City Code Amendment May 15, 2018 Page 3 of 8 Issue 3: Disnlav size The City Code limits directional signage to a maximum of four square feet of display area. The rational for allowing this relatively small display area is ensuring that these signs are not coopted to serve an advertising function. Staff recommends applying the four square foot display area limit to pickup signage. Four square feet is enough to convey wayfinding messages and a logo identifying what store has established the pick up area, but not enough to provide effective advertising. Any store identifier or logo should be restricted to a maximum of thirty percent of the display area in order to prevent the pick up sign from serving an advertising function. Issue 4: Permitted Uses Parking lot pickup areas and their signs are best suited to uses which have large numbers of relatively heavy, or cumbersome goods with parking areas separated from the building by a drive aisle. These types of business typically have large amounts of shopping cart traffic moving between the store and parking lot so employees moving goods from the store to the pick up area does not disrupt the site's usual traffic flow. Big box retailers and grocery stores both tend to fit this model and staff believes it would be appropriate to allow them to install pickup signage. Commercial businesses with drive-through facilities are allowed a menu board sign not to exceed eight feet in height and 45 square feet of display area under the existing City Code, in addition to the four directional signs allowed to all properties by the city's sign code. In cases where the business has multiple drive through aisle, it has generally been the city's practice to allow a menu board for each aisle. Since businesses with drive-through facilities are already allowed additional signage and can use direction signage to direct traffic to the drive through aisle, permitting another onsite sign related to the drive up/pickup aspect of their business would be unnecessary and redundant. Many restaurants without drive-through facilities offer carryout/pickup services. These pick up areas generally consist of one or more parking spaces adjacent to the building's entrance and are not typically located in the areas of the parking lot separated from the building. In these situations, there is not a need for the signage to project above parked vehicles, and most restaurant use small parking space signs to designate those spots as reserved for carryout/pickup customers. This type of parking space signage is already permitted as directional signage, and the proposed pickup signs would not be needed to help identify those spaces. ALTERNATIVES 1) Do nothing. Entities desiring to designate pick up areas within their parking lot would need to adhere to existing directional signage standards. 2) Create standards for pickup signs and require a sign permit for the installation of pickup signs. 3) Create standards for pickup signs and allow businesses to install them without a permit. Planning Commission Onsite Pickup/Drive Up signs — City Code Amendment May 15, 2018 Page 4 of 8 RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends alternative three. The proposed code amendment would read as follows: Sec. 1-2.- Rules of Construction and Definitions Pickup signs. See Sign, Pickup Sign, Pickup means a sign not attached to a building that designates a specific area of a parking lot for the pickup and loading of goods purchased in advance. Sec. 20-1255. - Signs allowed without permit. The following signs are allowed without a permit: (1) Political campaign signs. Temporary political campaign signs are permitted according to the following: a. The sign must contain the name of the person responsible for such sign, and that person shall be responsible for its removal. b. Signs are not permitted in the public right-of-way, or within the sight triangle. c. Shall comply with the Fair Campaign Practices Act contained in M.S. § 211B.045. d. The city shall have the right to remove and destroy signs not conforming to this subsection. e. Permitted from 46 days before the state primary in a state general election year until ten days following the state general election and 13 weeks prior to any special election until ten days following the special election. f. No such sign shall be located within 100 feet of any polling site. g. Sign shall be located on private property with permission of the property owner. (2) Directional signs. a. On -premises signs shall not be larger than four square feet. The maximum height of the sign shall not exceed five feet from the ground. The placement of directional signs on the property shall be so located such that the sign does not adversely affect adjacent properties (including site lines or confusion of adjoining ingress or egress) or the general appearance of the site from public rights-of-way. No more than four signs shall be allowed per lot. The city council may allow additional signs in situations where access is confusing or traffic safety could be jeopardized. b. Permanent off -premises signs shall be allowed only in situations where access is confusing and traffic safety could be jeopardized or traffic could be inappropriately routed through residential streets. The size of the sign shall be no larger than what is needed to effectively view the sign from the roadway and Planning Commission Onsite Pickup/Drive Up signs — City Code Amendment May 15, 2018 Page 5 of 8 shall be approved by the city council. Temporary off -premises signs are prohibited, unless otherwise specified in this chapter. c. On -premises signs for industrially zoned land in excess of 40 acres shall not exceed 12 square feet. The maximum height of the sign shall not exceed five feet from the ground. The placement of directional signs on the property shall be so located such that the sign does not adversely affect adjacent properties or the general appearance of the site from public right-of-way. No more than four signs shall be allowed per site. The city council may allow additional signs in situations where access is confusing or traffic safety could be jeopardized. (3) Community signs or displays which contain or depict a message pertaining to a religious, national, state or local holiday or event and no other matter, and which are displayed for a period not to exceed 40 days in any calendar year. (4) Motor fuel price signs are permitted on the premises of any automobile service station or convenience store selling fuel, only if such signs are affixed to the fuel pumps or are made an integral part of a ground low profile or pylon business sign otherwise permitted in that zoning district. Motor fuel price signs affixed to a fuel pump shall not exceed four square feet in sign display area. When such signs are made an integral part of a freestanding business sign, the sign display area devoted to the price component shall not exceed 30 percent of the total sign display area of the sign. (5) Nameplate or integral signs not exceeding two square feet per building and does not include multi -tenant names. (6) Nonilluminated construction signs confined to the site of the construction, alteration or repair. Such a sign must be removed within one year from the date of issuance of the first building permit on the site, and may be extended until the project is completed. One sign shall be permitted for each street the project abuts. Commercial and industrial signs may not exceed 50 square feet in sign area, and residential construction signs may not exceed 24 square feet in sign area. Where a nonilluminated construction sign and a temporary development project advertising sign are proposed at the entrance to the project, such signage shall be combined on one sign with a maximum sign area of 64 square feet. (7) Signs ofa public, noncommercial nature, informational signs erected by a governmental entity or agency, including safety signs (O.S.H.A.), directional signs to public facilities, trespassing signs, traffic signs, signs indicating scenic or historical points of interest, memorial plaques and the like. Signs shall not exceed 16 square feet. (8) Rummage (garage) sale signs. Rummage sale signs shall be removed within two days after the end of the sale and shall not exceed four square feet. Rummage sale signs shall not be located in any public rights-of-way. The city shall have the right to remove and destroy signs not conforming to this subsection. The city may assess a fee in the amount established in chapter 4 of this Code for sign permits for each sign removed by the city. (9) Temporary development project advertising signs erected for the purpose of selling or promoting any nonresidential project, or any residential project of ten or more dwelling units, located in the City of Chanhassen, shall be permitted subject to the following regulations: a. Not more than one nonilluminated sign per street frontage, provided that the total number of signs do not exceed two per project. Planning Commission Onsite Pickup/Drive Up signs — City Code Amendment May 15, 2018 Page 6 of 8 b. Such signs shall only be located along streets that provide primary access to the project site. c. Such sign shall be setback at least ten feet from any property line for signs ten feet in height or less, plus one additional foot for each additional foot of sign height. Signs shall be firmly anchored to the ground. d. No such sign shall be located closer than 100 feet from an existing residential dwelling unit, church, or school which is not a part of the project being so advertised. e. Such signs shall not be located closer than 100 feet from any other sign located on the same side of the street. f. Sign display area shall not exceed 64 square feet, and the height of such signs shall not exceed 15 feet. g. Such signs shall be removed when the project being advertised is sold or leased, or after three years. The planning director may permit a sign for longer than three years if the project being advertised is not sold or leased. h. Where a nonilluminated construction sign and a temporary development project advertising sign are proposed at the entrance to the project, such signage shall be combined on one sign with a maximum sign area of 64 square feet. (10) Temporary real estate signs which advertise the sale, rental or lease of real estate subject to the following conditions: a. On premises real estate signs advertising the sale, rental or lease of the premises upon which the sign is located. 1. One nonilluminated sign is permitted per street frontage. 2. Sign display area shall not exceed 16 square feet per sign on property containing less than ten acres in area, and 32 square feet per sign on property containing ten or more acres. 3. No such sign shall exceed ten feet in overall height, nor be located less than ten feet from any property line. 4. All temporary real estate signs shall be removed within seven days following sale, lease or rental of the property. 5. Window signs advertising the sale, rental or lease of a building are permitted subject to the conditions of subsection 20-1265(g). b. Off -premises real estate signs advertising the sale, rental or lease of business and industrial buildings: 1. One nonilluminated sign is permitted per building. 2. Such signs shall only be permitted in business and industrial districts, and on property located within the same subdivision or development as the building being advertised. 3. Such signs shall not be located closer than 100 feet from any other such sign located on the same side of the street. 4. Sign display area shall not exceed 32 square feet, and the height of such signs shall not exceed ten feet. 5. Such sign shall be setback at least ten feet from any property line. Planning Commission Onsite Pickup/Drive Up signs — City Code Amendment May 15, 2018 Page 7 of 8 6. Such signs shall be removed within seven days following the lease or sale of the building floor space which it is advertising. 7. Provide written permission of property owner. c. Off -premises directional signs which show direction to new residential developments in accordance with the following. The intent of this subsection is to allow short-term signage, for residential development, to familiarize the public with the new development. 1. Such sign shall only be permitted along major arterials and collectors as identified in the comprehensive plan. 2. Only one sign per corner of an intersection per development shall be permitted. There shall not be more than four signs per intersection. Signs shall not be located in any site distance triangle, measured 30 feet from the point of intersection of the property line. 3. Sign display area shall not exceed 32 square feet and the height of such signs shall not exceed ten feet. 4. Such sign shall not be located closer than ten feet from any street right-of- way line, and shall be firmly anchored to the ground. 5. Written permission must be obtained from the property owner upon whose land the proposed sign is to be located. 6. Such sign shall be nonilluminated and kept in good condition. 7. Such sign shall be removed 12 months after the sign has been erected. A sign shall be permitted for each phase of a development. 8. Signs for home promotions (Parade of Homes, Spring Preview, etc.) shall be limited to four square feet and shall be permitted only for the duration of the event. (11) Off -premises sign for open house, house for sale or rent, parade of homes, etc. Such signs shall be removed within two days after the end of the event and shall not exceed four square feet. The property owner upon which a sign is located shall provide their approval. The signs shall not be located in any public rights-of-way. The city shall have the right to remove and destroy signs not conforming to this section. The city may assess a fee in the amount established in chapter 4 of this Code for sign permits for each sign removed by the city. (12) Employment opportunity signs; (help wanted) which advertise job opportunities for a specific location upon which the sign is located subject to the following conditions: a. One nonilluminated sign is permitted per street frontage. b. A banner shall not exceed 100 square feet of display area and must be affixed to the principle structure. c. Freestanding signs shall not exceed 16 square feet of display area and eight feet in height. d. No such sign shall be located less than ten feet from any property line. e. All temporary employment opportunity signs shall be removed within seven days after the posted position has been filled. (13) Corporate flags are limited to one per business. Planning Commission Onsite Pickup/Drive Up signs — City Code Amendment May 15, 2018 Page 8 of 8 (14) Pickup Signs, big box retailers and grocery stores are allowed one sign to designate an area of the parking lot for pick up/drive up loading of goods purchased in advance subject to the following conditions: a) The pickup sign must be located within the parking lot and the placement of pickup sign shall be so located such that the sign does not adversely affect adjacent properties or navigability of the parking lot (including sightlines, confusion of adjoining ingress or egress) or the general appearance of the site from public rights-of-way. b) No more than one pickup sign shall be allowed per business c) The pickup sign may not exceed thirteen feet in height. d) The pickup sign's base shall be not more than two -feet wide on a side, and no portion of the sign may project beyond the base. e) The pickup sign is limited to four square feet of display area per sign face, and no more than 30 percent of the display area shall be used for the business logo or identification. f) Businesses with a drive-through facility may not also have a pick up sign. (Ord. No. 231, § 1, 1-9-95; Ord. No. 252, § 1, 4-8-96; Ord. No. 377, §§ 139, 140, 5-24-04; Ord. No. 423, §§ 9, 10, 6-12-06; Ord. No. 431, § 2, 9-25-06; Ord. No. 459, § 1, 9-24-07; Ord. No. 468, § 1, 8-11-08; Ord. No. 507, §§ 4, 5, 6-28-10; Ord. No. 510, § 1, 9-13-10) ATTACHMENTS 1) Pickup Sign Ordinance G:\PLAN\City COde\2018\PC PH 5-15-18\Pickup Signage\Pickup Sign_PC.docx CITY OF CHANHASSEN CARVER AND HENNEPIN COUNTIES, MINNESOTA ORDINANCE NO. [insert number] AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 1, GENERAL PROVISIONS AND CHAPTER 20, ZONING OF THE CHANHASSEN CITY CODE THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA ORDAINS: Section 1. Section 1-2 of the Chanhassen City Code is amended to read as follows: Pickup signs. See Sign, Pickup Sign, Pickup means a sign not attached to a building that designates a specific area of a parking lot for the pickup and loading of goods purchased in advance. Section 2. Section 20-1255(14) of the Chanhassen City Code is amended to read as follows: (14) Pickup Signs; big box retailers and grocery stores are allowed one sign to designate an area of the parking lot for pick up/drive up loading of goods purchased in advance subject to the following conditions: a) The pickup sign must be located within the parking lot and the placement of pickup sign shall be so located such that the sign does not adversely affect adjacent properties or navigability of the parking lot (including sightlines, confusion of adjoining ingress or egress) or the general appearance of the site from public rights-of-way. b) No more than one pickup sign shall be allowed per business c) The pickup sign may not exceed thirteen feet in height. d) The pickup sign's base shall be not more than two -feet wide on a side, and no portion of the sign may project beyond the base. e) The pickup sign is limited to four square feet of display area per sign face, and no more than 30 percent of the display area shall be used for the business logo or identification. f) Businesses with a drive-through facility may not also have a pick up sign. g) Section 3. This ordinance shall be effective immediately upon its passage and publication. PASSED AND ADOPTED this [xx] day of [Month], 2018 by the City Council of the City of Chanhassen, Minnesota Todd Gerhardt, City Manager Denny Laufenburger, Mayor (Summary Ordinance [insert number] published in the Chanhassen Villager on [insert date])