From
Chris Hartmann
Title
USP151201 - Unified Signage Plan - Ikea (City Council District 2). Approve a Unified Signage Plan for IKEA, a proposed 296,836 sq. ft. international retail store that specializes in selling ready to assembly furniture, home appliances and décor. The signage plan includes a request for an off-premise sign to be located approximately 100 feet east of the SH 161 right-of-way line and approximately 1,150 feet south of the S. Forum Drive right-of-way line. The subject 45.3452 acre property, zoned Planned Development 294 (PD-294) for General Retail (GR) District uses, is located at the southeast corner of S.H. 161 and Mayfield Road. The property is also located within the S.H. 161 Corridor Overlay District. The applicant is Michael Doggett, Winkelmann and Associates and the owner is Rick O'Brien, Campbell-Mayfield Road LP. (On December 7, 2015, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of this request by a vote of 8-0).
Presenter
Chief City Planner Jim Hinderaker
Recommended Action
Approval
Analysis
Summary:
Consider a request to approve a Unified Signage Plan for IKEA, a proposed 296,836 sq. ft. international retail store that specializes in selling ready to assembly furniture, home appliances and décor. The signage plan includes a request for an off-premise sign to be located approximately 100 feet east of the SH 161 right-of-way line and approximately 1,150 feet south of the S. Forum Drive right-of-way line. The subject 45.3452 acre property, zoned Planned Development 294 (PD-294) for General Retail (GR) District uses, is located at the southeast corner of S.H. 161 and Mayfield Road. The property is also located within the S.H. 161 Corridor Overlay District.
ADJACENT LAND USES AND ACCESS:
North - Directly north is Mayfield Road, which is classified on the Master Transportation Plan (MTP) as a four lane divided arterial (P4D). Across Mayfield Road, at the hard northeast corner of Mayfield and SH 161, is a 6.6 acre vacant tract zoned Planned Development 266 (PD-266) for Commercial One (C-1) uses. East of this property is a vacant out-parcel zoned Planned Development 91 (PD-91) for planned development uses, which appears to allow both residential and commercial uses. East of the noted out-parcel is the First Baptist Church of Grand Prairie campus, which is also zoned PD-91. Access to these vacant tracts will be from SH 161, Mayfield Road and established cross access easements.
South - Directly south of the subject property is a vacant tract of land zoned Planned Development 294 (PD-294), which is the same zoning classification as the subject property. Future access to this tract will likely come from SH 161, Robinson Road, and from yet to be platted private access easements and/or public roadways.
East - Directly east is Robinson Road, which is classified on the Master Transportation Plan (MTP) as a four lane divided arterial (P4D). Farther east is the Greenwood Addition No. 2 and a portion of the Royal Valley Estates Addition, both single-family detached residential zoning districts. At the southwest hard corner of Mayfield Road and Robinson Road is a stand-alone 0.64 acres tract zoned PD-294A for commercial uses. At the southeast hard corner of the same intersection are two tracts totaling 2.58 acres zoned PD-152A for General Retail (GR) District uses. Future access to these tracts will likely come from Robinson Road, and from yet to be platted private access easements and/or public roadways.
West - Directly west of the subject property is SH 161.
Purpose of Request:
During staff's initial conversations with IKEA representatives, staff was informed that any decision by IKEA to locate in Grand Prairie would be predicated on the city's willingness to grant full adherence to their worldwide corporate branding and image, which includes the use of bright blue and gold colors, interstate navigation signage, and increased on-premise signage. T
The unified signage plan is a variance request of the minimum/maximum standards of Article 9: Sign Standards of the Unified Development Code (UDC). As proposed, the requested variance will: 1) increase the amount of permissible wall signage area from 15% of the front façade to 22.13%, 2) permit the placement of a number of directional and informational signs, of a greater height and area then permitted by right, at the entrances and parking areas of the IKEA development, 3) increase the permissible multi-tenant signage area from 400 feet to 860 feet, and 4) allow for the placement of a three (3) sided off-premise sign, at a height of 108 feet from grade to top and sign and with an signage area of 575 sq.ft. per panel, to be located approximately 100 feet east of the SH 161 right-of-way line and approximately 1,150 feet south of the S. Forum Drive right-of-way line.
Review Process:
In accordance with Section 9.16.1 of Article 9 of the Unified Development Code, an applicant for a sign permit that has a unique use, site conditions, or other unusual factors for consideration, may elect to submit a Unified Signage Plan for review and approval by Development Review Committee (DRC). While the Development Review Committee supports the requested Unified Signage Plan, due to the scale of the off-premise navigation sign and increase in the sign area of the on-premise signage, DRC has recommended that the request also be forwarded to the Planning and Zoning Commission for recommendation and onto City Council for action.
Review Comments:
Due to the volume of customers that are anticipated to shop at IKEA, staff supports the increase in the number, area, and height of all directional/informational signs and wall signage as proposed. Staff also supports that placement of the multi-tenant sign, but recommends that the sign meet the maximum height, sign area standards and include the name of the multi-tenant development. Also, staff recommends that the base of the sign be designed to look less like a pole sign. Staff recommends that the multi-tenant sign be modified to include a more substantial base wrapped in a complimentary stone or brick veneer.
In regards to the off-premise navigation sign, the pad site for this sign is located within 200 feet of the 100-year (1% annual chance) floodplain. The floodplain is not located on the pad site. However, the City’s Unified Development Code (UDC) Article 15 requires that a floodplain development permit (FDP) application be submitted for the proposed project on this property.
Staff anticipates that not only will Grand Prairie benefit from the regional draw of IKEA shoppers here to spend their out of town dollars in Grand Prairie, but those same shoppers will have an opportunity to see and discover other shopping venues and attractions in our community that may make Grand Prairie a future destination spot for these individuals and families that may not have otherwise ever considered Grand Prairie. For these reasons, staff is very supportive of IKEA unified signage plan as presented.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this request.