ARB Staff Report A PPEARANCE REVIEW BOARD NOVEMBER 11, 2014 Case Number AGENDA ITEM 1 450 S. ORANGE AVE. R ED LOBSTER MONUMENT SIGN ARB2014-00104 Applicant John J. McNertney Red Lobster Management, LLC Property Location 450 S. Orange Avenue Requested Action Sign Location Request for a Major Certificate of Appearance Approval for the addition of 41.0 s.f of additional sign area to an existing monument sign. Recommendation ARB Staff recommends APPROVAL based on the conditions in this staff report Project Planner Doug Metzger, AICP, LMT Aerial Photograph S UMMARY Project Description The subject site is bounded on the north by City Hall and City Commons Plaza, on the east by the new Performing Arts Center; on the south by Anderson Street and on the west by the CNL I Office Tower. This is a request for a Major Certificate of Appearance Approval for a 41.0 s.f addition to the existing 76.6 s.f. monument sign located on S. Orange Ave. just north of Anderson St. Project History 2001 Original 56.6 s.f. monument sign permitted and installed, BLD2001-00353 2011 DDB/DRC [DDB2011-00002] approves the addition of a 22.0 s.f. tenant sign to the existing monument sign. 2011 Sign permit approved for additional tenant signage [BLD2011-00995]. Public Notice A poster was posted on site, as of November 4th, no inquiries from the public have been received regarding this site. Updated: November 4, 2014
Page 2 OVERVIEW P ROJECT OVERVIEW Case Number ARB2014-00104 450 S. Orange Ave. Red Lobster The Red Lobster restaurant chain is moving their corporate headquarters and restaurant support center into the CNL I Office Tower at 450 S. Orange Avenue in Downtown Orlando. As part of their move to Downtown Orlando Red Lobster is developing a corporate identity package for the exterior of the CNL I Office Tower. The CNL I Office Tower is also home to the CNL corporate headquarters so part of the complexity of the Red Lobster identity package is merging it s corporate identity package with the existing CNL identity signage on the site. Red Lobster has submitted this application to add a new sign panel to the top of the existing CNL monuments sign located adjacent to South Orange Avenue at the northeast corner of the CNL I Office Tower site. The existing sign is also adjacent to the 1.30 acre City Commons Plaza. The existing CNL monument sign was permitted and installed in 2001. The original monument sign was 54.6 s.f., less than the maximum of 60 square feet allowed for monument signs in the Downtown Special Sign District. In 2011 the monument sign was expanded by 22.0 square feet to 76.6 square feet with the addition of a tenant identification sign. The existing monument is single sided, has a stainless steel sign face, is approximately two inches think, 56-inches tall, 16-5 wide. The existing sign is neither internally nor externally illuminated. Red Lobster s addition to the existing monument sign will also have a stainless steel sign face, add an additional 41 square feet to the monument sign bringing the total area of the monument sign to 117.6 square feet. The addition will also add 30 inches to the height of the sign, making the total sign height 86-inches or 7-feet 2-inches tall; below the maximum allowed height of 10-feet for monument signs [Sec. 64.400 (j)]. However, per Sec. 64.400 (j) the maximum allowable area for a monument sign in the Downtown Special Sign District is 60 square feet. Therefore at 117.6 square feet the final configuration of the sign will require approval of a variance for sign area by the Board of Zoning Adjustment [BZA]. The ARB Staff Conditions of Approval include a requirement for approval of the variance prior to issuance of permits and installation of the Red Lobster sign. ARB Staff is in full support of the variance for sign size because the design of the Red Lobster addition to the existing monument sign is consistent with the existing sign design. Additionally, because City Commons Plaza at 1.3 acres, where the monument sign is placed is over 10 times the size of the minimum plaza requirement of 0.1 acres for a monument sign. The scale of the amended sign size is in keeping with the expansive scale of City Commons Plaza. The increased size of the monument sign is needed to maintain the positive visual impact of the sign and to make the sign a size that is complementary to the size and scale of the plaza area where the monument sign is located. ARB Staff does have concerns about the proposed mounting brackets for the new Red Lobster sign panel and has added a Condition of Approval requiring a vegetative screen for the back of the single-faced sign. ARB Staff would encourage that in the future with the increased pedestrian traffic from the new performing arts center across the street and new development to the east and south of the CNL I building that the monument sign be redesigned to be a single integrated two sided sign. S TAFF CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL: ARB Staff recommends approval of the size, appearance and materials of the Red Lobster sign addition to the existing CNL I Office Tower monument sign based on the following conditions: 1. Prior to permitting and installation of the monument sign addition a variance allowing the monument sign to be up to 117.6 square feet in area shall be approved by the City of Orlando Board of Zoning Adjustment [BZA]. 2. In order to create a more cohesive appearance and to provide a visual separation between the existing and proposed sign panels a 1.5-inch to 2-inch tall bronze separation band shall be added between the top of the existing monument sign and the bottom of the proposed Red Lobster sign panel. The height of the Red Lobster sign shall be decreased to accommodate this sign separator. 3. A podocarpus or viburnum suspensum hedge installed at a height of 48-inches and maintained at a height of 72-inches shall be installed on the south side of the proposed monument sign in order to screen the Red Lobster sign panel mounting brackets. 4. The sides and top of the Red Lobster sign shall match the stainless steel finish of the face of the sign. 5. ARB approval does not constitute approval to fabricate and install the sign. All required building, sign, structural, and wind load requirements shall be met and all appropriate building and sign permits shall be obtained prior to installation of the Red Lobster sign addition.
Page 3 Case Number ARB2014-00104 450 S. Orange Ave. Red Lobster E XISTING CONDITIONS View of existing sign looking south View of existing sign looking north
Page 4 Case Number ARB2014-00104 450 S. Orange Ave. Red Lobster P ROPOSED SIGN DETAILS Photo image of proposed Red Lobster sign Dimensions and mounting details of proposed Red Lobster sign
Page 5 Case Number ARB2014-00104 450 S. Orange Ave. Red Lobster P ROPOSED SIGN DETAILS ARB Staff proposed sign separation band