Title
PR19-0006: Request approval for revised preliminary site development plan for Garmin Wayfinding Sign Package on 96.1± acres; located at 1200 E. 151st Street.
Applicant
Owner: Patrick Desbois; Garmin Realty, LLC
Applicant: Dan Zeller; Gould Evans
Engineer: Judd Claussen; Phelps Engineering
The following is a request for a wayfinding sign package for the Garmin campus. The directional signs will be located along public streets and within the campus along private drives. The applicant has submitted a project summary and design plans for the proposed wayfinding signs (attached).
Some of the proposed signs do not meet Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) requirements for information signs, including height or sign area for directional signs. The applicant is requesting an exception for certain sign requirements which may be considered as part of a revised preliminary development plan to be approved by the Planning Commission and City Council. There are no changes proposed for buildings or parking areas with this application.
The applicant is proposing 20 different directional signs to be located throughout the campus to provide direction and identify buildings. In addition, there are traffic control signs proposed along the interior drives to provide direction for truck deliveries. The Campus Wayfinding sign package shows the locations and dimensions for proposed signs.
According to UDO requirements, the maximum height for community information signs is six (6) feet and each sign face shall not exceed 20 square feet. The applicant is requesting exceptions for nine signs that exceed the height or sign area for community information signs. The three signs located along public streets are nine (9) feet tall and 36.3 square feet. These signs are identified as “yellow dots” on the sign plans and are located at the entrances on Ridgeview Road, 151st Street and Mahaffie Circle. The other exceptions are for the interior parking entrance signs which are identified as “green dots” on the plans. These signs are six feet tall but have a sign area of 22.5 square feet.
Deviations or exceptions to sign requirements may be approved by the Planning Commission and City Council upon a finding that certain conditions are met per UDO requirements. The applicant has indicated that the Garmin campus is very large, 96 acres, and there is over 2 million square feet of building area. Garmin has also noted on-going issues with visitors trying to find the appropriate entrances and locations for buildings and trucks not following the delivery routes. The applicant installed mock-up signs at 6 feet tall and 20 square feet and they determined it was difficult to see the wayfinding signs from the street.
The proposed exceptions for wayfinding signs meet the general intent of the UDO requirements for information signs and there are no conflicts. Due to the large size and scale of the campus and setbacks from streets, staff supports the proposed exceptions for UDO sign requirements.
The applicant spoke at the Planning Commission meeting and noted the importance for the wayfinding signage and requested exceptions for sign height and area as proposed. The Commissioners recommended approval of the revised preliminary development plan for wayfinding sign package as stipulated on pages 1 and 2 of the minutes.