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Home My WebLink AboutReg 2007-09-04 Item 6C - Briefing - Sign Code Update COUNCIL AGENDA SYNOPSIS r �`sti'` Initials ITEM NO. O i Z S i a 161': Meeting Date Prepare Mayor's review 1 Council review 1 t l s t 0 1 09/04/07 BM 1 iC4.. 1 O.f Vci \K 1 7908,, 1 I 1 tT EM= INFORMATIO N CAS NUMBER: 07-102 I ORIG- AL AGENDA DATE: SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 AGENDA ITEM TITLE Sign Code Update Briefing CATEGORY Discussion Motion Resolution Ordinance Bid Award n Public Hearing n Other Mtg Date 9/4/07 Mtg Date Mtg Date Mtg Date Mtg Date Mtg Date Mtg Date I SPONSOR Council tvia Adm Svcs DCD Finance Fir Legal P&R Police PIYI 1 SPONSOR'S As part of the 2007 budget, the City Council identified the need to update the City's SUMMARY current sign code. REVIEWED BY COW Mtg. CA &P Cmte F &S Cmte Transportation Cmte Utilities Cmte Arts Comm. Parks Comm. Planning Comm. DA1'E: 8/28/07 RECOMMENDATIONS: SPONSOR /ADMIN. Briefing only CONDETTEE Briefing only GOS-T=IM PACT _FUND—SOURCE EXPENDITURE REQUIRED AMOUNT BUDGETED APPROPRIATION REQUIRED $N /A $N /A $N /A Fund Source: N/A Comments: N/A MTG DATEI RE -CORD OF COUNCIL ACTION 09/04/07 1 AT TACHMENTS I 1�1ITG DATE I 9/04/07 Informational Memorandum dated August 29, 2007 Minutes from the Community Affairs and Parks Committee meeting of August 28, 2007 I I 1 W 1LA City of Tukwila Steven M. Mullet, Mayor <r: rafi o f,��•: 2 Department of Community Development Steve Lancaster, Director 1908 TO: Mayor City Council From: Jack Pace, Acting Director Brandon Miles, Assistant Ph er RE: Sign Code Update DATE: August 29, 2007 BACKGROUND As part of the 2007 budget the Mayor and City Council allocated $45,000 for the update of the City's sign code. Planning staff has begun the preliminary work and is ready to proceed with the update. The City's existing sign code was written in 1982. Throughout the years there have been piecemeal changes to the sign code to address specific areas of interest, such as signs at public facilities; standards for electronic and animated signs; and signage at the mall. However, no comprehensive update has occurred. The landscape of the City has changed significantly since 1982. The City concluded several large annexations including the annexation of Tukwila International Blvd and the Manufacturing Industrial Center areas. Additionally, the City is completing the Tukwila Urban Center plan which will allow a development pattern that would have unique sign needs not easily addressed in the City's existing Sign Code. Additionally, the City's sign code needs to be examined to ensure compliance with the legal limitations placed on City's ability to regulate signs. Some specific items with the sign code that should be examined with an update: 1. Are signage needs different in the various zones of the City? For example, should the City have different standards for signs within the TUC compared to standards in the MIC? 2. Should corner parcels be allocated more signs than they are currently penuitted? Currently, a corner parcel is permitted to have one freestanding sign. However, corner parcels have multiple entrances from two public streets, perhaps additional signage is warranted. 3. Does the City want to prohibit animated and electronic signs? Created by B. Miles H: \Sign Code Update\iMEMOS\RC, 2007.09.03.doc Page 1 of 3 6300 Southcenter Boulevard, Suite #100 Tukwila, Washington 98188 Phone: 206 -431 -3670 Fax: 206- 431 -3665 4. How should temporary displays and signage be regulated? These are just few items that need to be examined with the sign code update. DISCUSSION Planning staff envisions a grassroots process in updating the sign code. Any update of the sign code should involve City residents, property owners, and business owners. Planning Staff proposed a minimum of three public workshops to address signage issues within the City. These public workshops would be in addition to the required public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council. Planning staff proposes the creation of a sign code committee to work on the specific details of the new sign code. The sign code committee will be present at the public workshops and will prepare a draft sign code which will be presented to the City Council for consideration. The make -up of the sign code committee could include the following: Two City Council persons Two Planning Commission members (selected by Mayor and Council President) Two Tukwila Business/Property owners (selected by the Mayor) One or more Tukwila residents (selected by the Mayor) All meetings of the sign code committee will be open to the public. In October, Planning staff would like to conduct a workshop with the City Council and the Planning Commission to conduct a visual use survey of some of the issues related to signage within the community. It would be useful to see examples of signage in other communities. The workshop will also allow planning staff and those members of the City Council and Planning Commission that will be assigned to the Sign Code Committee the opportunity to gauge important issues and concerns of other Council members and Planning Commission members related to the sign code update. The workshop will occur on a separate night from regular City Council meetings. Preliminary Schedule The following is a tentative schedule of the sign code update: September 27, 2007 -Brief Planning Commission on the proposed update and request volunteers to serve on the sign code committee September or October (Based on Council and Planning Commission availability) -Hold joint meeting of the City Council and the Planning Commission to hold a visual use survey of signage issues (D inner will be served). Created by B. Miles H: \Sian Code Update\MEMOS\RC, 2007,09.03.doc Page 2 of 3 October 24, 2007 -Hold a public open house for residents, business owners, and property owner to solicit comments on sign issues related to the community. November `07- February -Sign code Committee workshops and public open houses. February `08 -Staff prepares draft Sign Code February `08 -Draft is presented to Sign Code Committee March `08 -CAP and COW are briefed April `08- Planning Commission is briefed, Public Hearing held May '08- Regular City Council meeting, public hearing, possible adoption NEXT STEP Staff recommends that this matter be referred to the Planning Commission for a briefing and that a joint meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission be held to conduct a visual use survey. Created by B. Miles H: \Sign Code Update\ vtEMOS\RC, 2007.09.03.doc Page 3 of 3 Community Affairs Parks Committee Minutes August 28. 2007- Pape 2 With these additional funds, staff is seeking Council approval to renew an agreement with ESA Adolfson for consulting services regarding the Shoreline Master Program. The contract amount will not exceed $35,000. The completed Shoreline Master Program is now due to the Department of Ecology by June 30, 2008. UNANIMOUS APPROVAL. FORWARD TO SEPTEMBER 10 COW FOR DISCUSSION. C. Sian Code Undate Timeline Briefinv Staff has begun preliminary work and is ready to proceed on a comprehensive update of the City's Sign Code which was originally written in 1982. Staff is proposing the creation of a Sign Code Committee that will be tasked with working through the specifics details of the new Code. N. This process, which will be open to the public, is expected to take almost one year for completion and adoption. Staff recommends this briefing move forward to full Council for further discussion. UNANIMOUS APPROVAL. FORWARD TO SEPTEMBER 4 REGULAR MEETING FOR DISCUSSION. M. ANNOUNCEMENTS No announcements. IV. MISCELLANEOUS Meeting adjourned at 5:22 p.m. Next meeting: Tuesday, September 11, 2007 5:00 p.m. Conference Room 3 Committee Chair Approval Mii'r mss byKAM. B Reviewed by CL.