Staff Report Sign Design July 29, 2014 Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting Report date July 23, 2014 Project type Sign Design Legal description Section 2, Township 5, Range 82 Lots 3&4, S1/2NW1/4, SW1/4 Section 3 Township 5 Range 82 Lot 1, SE1/4, NE1/4SE1/4 Section 34 Township 4 Range 82 SE1/4SE1/4 Zoning Open Space, PUD Open Space (Wildridge) Address N/A Prepared By Brian Garner, Town Planner INTRODUCTION The West Avon preserve is a 478-acre open space parcel recently obtained by the Town of Avon as a conservation easement from the U.S. Forest Service. With construction of the segments comprising 6.5 miles of trails nearing completion this summer, the Town of Avon is developing a sign design for the trailheads and trail markers throughout the West Avon Preserve to help trail users navigate the system. As depicted on Exhibit A, trailhead signs are needed at four (4) proposed locations and trail markers are proposed at approximately 13 trail intersections. TRAIL PROJECT PARTNERS This sign design concept has been developed in accordance and shared with a number of trail project partners with a vested interest in the West Avon Preserve. Staff has gained a number of expert opinions on best practices of trail signage and how to best utilize signage in the West Avon Preserve. PROPOSED TRAILHEAD SIGNS Trailhead Sign Locations Trailhead signs are proposed for four (4) locations including: Nottingham Road Trailhead Singletree Trailhead O Neal Spur/Playground Way near the Wildridge Dog Park Trailhead Beaver Creek Point Trailhead Exact placement within these identified locations remains undetermined and will need to be field-verified to ensure best visibility, accessibility and placement on West Avon Preserve property. Trailhead Sign Design Considerations As depicted on the concept drawing attached as Exhibit B, the trailhead signs are proposed to be fabricated from wood and steel to be durable and attractive with several goals for the structures: Sign character and ability to blend-in with the Wildridge environment Appropriate sign scale and massing Durability for environmental conditions Ability to incorporate Town branding and Avon identity Ability to change-out sign components as needed to update and/or replace parts, rather than entire sign July 29, 2014 PZC Meeting 1
Trailhead Sign Header Message Each sign is proposed to include a header to include: Town logo/town of Avon West Avon Preserve Specific trailhead name i.e. Beaver Creek Point Trailhead Sign Copy The sign copy will contain the rules and etiquette of the trail. Staff again received input from our trail project partners to ensure the needs of all trail users are met. At this time, the following general messages are proposed for the copy component of the signs: Rules: Hours No on-street or overnight parking is permitted If parking is full, other parking areas available No smoking, alcohol or marijuana allowed Etiquette: Multi-use area Understand the use of each trail Hikers/walkers have the right-of-way at all times Bike riders must yield to other users up & down Carry-in/carry-out responsibility is yours Trailhead Map Staff is working with Eagle County GIS to develop the trail map copy. This component will be the last developed since on-site trail alignment will continue to occur until the trails are complete. Working with our trail project partners it is understood that the map needs to be: Legible and easy to understand Depict enough land detail to understand grades Illustrate trail difficulty Appropriate scale July 29, 2014 PZC Meeting 2
Trailhead Partners and Additional Message A simple message is proposed to thank our project partners and include their respective logos. Other message logos may be included here as needed i.e. Share the Trail Trailhead Sign Materials and Colors The sign structure materials are proposed to include wood and steel fabrication to be durable and long-lasting. Individual sign components are proposed to be.5 thick Medex material with the ability to change out components as needed for update or replacement. The stain or paint color is proposed to be a sage-brown tone for the wood and either black or sage-brown for the steel fabricated parts. Ideally, the signs will blend with the natural environment of Wildridge as much as possible. Note: Enlarged version attached as Exhibit B July 29, 2014 PZC Meeting 3
PROPOSED TRAIL MARKERS The concept for the trail markers is to utilize a simple and functional map that shows numbered trail junctions to illustrate the trail user s specific location within the system. Attached as Exhibit C is an example from the Dale Ball Trail System in Santa Fe, NM. This method makes production easier by replicating the map and including specific junction # for each post. Additional marker details: 4 x4 x7 wood posts, stained or painted Appropriate sized map with dot indicating location Share the Trail logo on each post Avon logo and West Avon Preserve on each post Dibond with inkjet print & laminate for components NEXT STEPS & TIMELINE July 29, 2014 PZC Meeting 4
Planning Analysis Chapter 15.28 of the Avon Municipal Code contains the Avon Sign Code. Although official governmental signs are exempt from the regulating criteria, the proposed signs comprise a significant project that warrants Planning & Zoning Commission review and approval. As such, the Sign Design Review Criteria is included for PZC to render an official decision on the application. Review Criteria 15.28.070, Design Review Criteria. The Planning and Zoning Commission shall consider the following items in reviewing proposed designs: (1) The suitability of the improvement, including materials with which the sign is to be constructed and the site upon which it is to be located; (2) The nature of adjacent and neighboring improvements; (3) The quality of the materials to be utilized in any proposed improvement; (4) The visual impact of any proposed improvement, as viewed from any adjacent or neighboring property; (5) The objective that no improvement will be so similar or dissimilar to other signs in the vicinity that values, monetary or aesthetic, will be impaired; (6) Whether the type, height, size and/or quantity of signs generally complies with the sign code, and are appropriate for the project; (7) Whether the sign is primarily oriented to vehicular or pedestrian traffic, and whether the sign is appropriate for the determined orientation. Staff Recommendation Staff recommends that the Sign Design application be approved as proposed and with the following findings: 1. The signs are approved due to compliance with the Review Criteria as listed in 15.28.070. Recommended Motion I move to approve Case #SGN14006, an application for Sign Design Review for proposed trail signage on open space at the West Avon Preserve with the finding that the proposed signs are compliant with the review criteria. Exhibits A: West Avon Preserve Trails Map B: Proposed Sign Specifications C: Dale Ball Trail System Trail Marker Example D: Vicinity Map Open Space, PUD Open Space (Wildridge) E: Trailhead & Marker Sign Concept July 29, 2014 PZC Meeting 5
West Avon Preserve 0 400 800 Feet Existing Trails Parcel Boundary Easy Trail - Proposed Town Boundary Moderate Trail - Proposed Slopes over 30% Strenuous Trail - Proposed U.S. Forest Service Family Flow Trail - Proposed Riparian Habitat Moderate Trail - Existing ND OU GR AY PL This map was created by the Eagle County GIS Department. Use of this map should be for general purpose only. Eagle County does not warrant the accuracy of the data contained herein. Wildridge Y WA W 10-MILE EASY L OOP O D E DG N W RI CO NN EC TO R AY W GL ET RE E S E LE SI N LE DD SA Eagle County, Colorado Govmnt, GIS Dept P:\Towns\Town_of_Avon\WestAvonPreserve\WestAvonPreserve.mxd Date: 5/9/2014 3:55:37 PM Name: aszczesny AV ON MASHER CLIMBING TRAIL ILD WES T R I D G E Singletree EXISTING TRAILS ASC X-CUT
40 x 60 x 2 Angle Steel Welded Inside frame 40 x 60 x 2 Square Tube Welded outside frame 40 x 60 x 2 squares Wire Cloth TRAILHEAD SIGN.5 Thick Medex for signs 8 x 34 HEADER 6 square tube Mounting strap with welded bracket 12 x 30 TRAIL RULES & ETIQUITE 20 x 30 MAP 6 x 63 Top piece TBD 6 x 6 Western Cedar Posts to be 8 ft out of ground 20 x 34 SPONSORS
TOWN OF AVON - WEST AVON PRESERVE BEAVER CREEK POINT TRAILHEAD TRAIL RULES & ETIQUETTE THIS TRAIL WEST AVON PRESERVE THIS TRAIL EXISTS DUE TO THE LOVE OF OUR PARTNER SPONSORS: JUNCTION 2