HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning 2013-04-25 ITEM 4 - SOUND TRANSIT - STAFF REPORTCity of Tukwila
Jim Haggerton, Mayor
Department of Community Development Jack Pace, Director
Staff Report
Board of Architectural Review
Prepared March 5, 2013
Findings
File Number: S 13 -006
Associated
Permits: L12 -003 Tukwila Station Design Review
Applicant: Kym Williams, Permit Administrator
Owner: Sound Transit
Request: Approval of a Master Sign Program for Sound Transit's Tukwila Station — Sounder
Commuter rail and Amtrak Cascades service — allowing two grand monument
signs.
Location:
7301 Longacres Way; Tax parcels: 0005800020; 2523049087; generally the land
between the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad (BNSF) and the Union Pacific
railroad (UP) berms on the east and west respectively and Longacres Way on the
north and Strander Boulevard, if extended, on the south.
Comprehensive Plan
Designation: Tukwila Urban Center
Zoning District: Tukwila Urban Center
Staff: Moira Carr Bradshaw
Recommendation: Approve with conditions
Attachments:
A. Vicinity/Parcel Map
B. Site Plan
C. Sound Transit — Tukwila Station Grand Monument Sign
D. Amtrak Free - Standing Sign
E. Site Perspective
F. Applicant's response to the Master Sign Program Criteria
6300 Southcenter Boulevard, Suite #100 • Tukwila, Washington 98188 • Phone 206 - 431 -3670 • Fax 206 - 431 -3665 5
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Public Comments
Notice of this application was posted on site and mailed on February 8, 2013 to all property owners,
tenants, and businesses within 500 feet of the subject property. No comments have been received on the
application.
Background
Proposed Use
The subject site will be developed with permanent improvements that support the Sounder Commuter
Rail service and the Amtrak interregional service. Improvements include a bus transfer facility, new
paved parking lot, permanent platforms, shelters at the bus transfer facility and on the platforms,
landscaping, a station agent office and janitor's closet, and public art.
The proposal received an unclassified use permit and design review approval from the City Council in
September 2012.
Sign Code Application
Any sign discernible from any adjacent premise or public right of way must receive a sign permit prior to
installation. Visibility of the site is limited. Strander Boulevard will be approximately 10 feet below the
level of Sound Transit's property as it is being designed to go under the railroad tracks; the 10 -12 foot tall
railroad berms limit discernibility from properties to the east and west; and Longacres Way and the
property to its north are the remaining sites where there is discernibility. (The railroad right of way and
railroad passengers are considered to be exempt.) Attachment A is a vicinity map. Attachment F is a
perspective of the site's planned development.
Master Sign Program
Eligibility
The train station is an essential public facility per the City's zoning code and is located in a
commercial zoning district and per the Sign Code is allowed to apply for a Master Sign Program
(19.32.020 TMC.)
The Master Sign Program provides an applicant the opportunity to increase the sign area and size,
and the number of directional signs. The Board of Architectural Review may also approve roof signs
and other unique forms of signs as part of a Master Sign Program.
The site's signage can be organized into two general types of signs:
Station Signage — that is any sign that identifies the name of the Station; and
Directional Signage — that is any sign that directs users to the correct location on site for parking,
transit use, bicycle access and parking, platform access, and off -site support services and amenities.
Station Signage
Freestanding Sign Standards
Each premise in the City is allowed one monument sign per the Sign Code or two if there are multiple
street frontages. This 10.8 acre site has two streets that provide access to the site — Longacres Way and
Strander Boulevard.
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The definition of a monument sign is as follows:
Monument Sign means a sign supported by at least two posts or columns or with a
base that extends at least 75 percent of the sign panel length. Monument sings
may also consist of painted text or channel letters mounted on a freestanding
seating wall or retaining wall where the total height of the structure meets the
limitation s of this code. (19.08.170 TMC)
In addition to total number, there is a required setback, maximum height, width, maximum message
area and sign area and requirement to contain the site address for each freestanding sign. There are a
total of three freestanding signs proposed, two Sound Transit A2.0 monument signs and one Amtrak
monument sign, which is a sign that is typically used at all Amtrak unmanned stations. The second
Sound Transit monument sign is located in the center of the site and its visibility is expected to be
limited and therefore does not require a sign permit. Attachment B is a site plan for the development
showing the locations of the three freestanding signs.
The Sound Transit monument sign is 17.5 feet tall and contains blades extending from a single pole
with a total message area of 46 square feet and total sign area of 61 square feet. A monument sign for
this site would typically be limited to seven feet in height and 100 square feet in total area. (Permanent
Free - Standing Signage in Commercial/Industrial Zones 19.20.040 TMC) (Attachment C is an
elevation of the proposed sign.)
The Amtrak freestanding sign is six feet 10 inches tall and 40.25 square feet in sign area. (Attachment
D is an elevation of the proposed sign.)
Directional Signage
Non traffic related directional signage is typically limited to four or up to eight with approval through
the Master Sign Program. The Tukwila Sign Code addresses directional signage in the Exceptions -
Sign Permit Not Required section of the Sign Code (19.12.030(4) and (10) TMC.)
Most of the proposed signs are considered - (4) traffic signs - installed by a public entity (Sound
Transit and King County Metro) for the purpose of regulating and directing traffic. Signs installed
under the exception are intended to meet the requirements of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control
Devices.
The number of signs at the Station site is approximately 150. Most of these signs are not discernible
from off - premise, that is, the sign may be visible but due to its size, its message is not. The directional
signage is located on Sound Transit's property to direct bus, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.
Master Sign Program Application
Allowable modifications with review by the Board of Architectural Review (19.32.060 TMC)
There are both decision criteria for Master Sign Programs and maximum size standards for Grand
Monument signs. Grand Monument Signs can be approved if they comply with:
A.) Standards (19.32.060 (A) and (B) TMC,) and
B.) Master Sign Program Decision Criteria (19.32.040 TMC.)
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A. Standards
The following standards must be met:
• Only allowed in the TUC and TVS zoning districts
The site is located within a TUC district
• Each grand monument sign is allowed as a substitute for one of the monument signs allowed to be
installed on the premises.
The site is allowed two freestanding signs that are discernible per the Permanent Free- standing Signage in
Commercial /Industrial Zones section of the Sign Code. The property is allowed the additional monument
sign because it has two street frontages — Longacres Way and Strander Boulevard. (19.20.040 TMC)
• Any poles or columns supporting the sign have an architectural treatment such as brick, stone or
wood cladding that is consistent with the design of the buildings on site.
The material palette for the site includes poured concrete, white tile and metal. The Amtrak sign is
painted metal and glass in a concrete base. The Sounder sign is also painted metal in a concrete base.
• The sign message may be increased up to 100 square feet per side or 200 feet total and the
limitation on structure size is removed.
The message area of the Amtrak sign is 40 square feet per side with two sides and the Sound Transit sign
is a three dimensional sign with 46 square feet of sign area.
• The sign structure must be set back from the side and rear property lines of the premises a
distance equal to the height increase requested or five feet whichever is greater. The minimum
front setback is the small of the front yard required in the zoning district or the height increase
requested.
The allowable height limit for freestanding signs is based upon the total right of way of the site. The total
linear length of right of way for this project was calculated using the property lines between the railroad
rights of way on the north (295 feet) and south (325feet) ends of the site. Longacres Way is a privately
owned and managed shared access easement. The Longacres Way public right of way ends at Puget
Sound Energy's right of way, which is to the west of the UP tracks. Sound Transit's site consists of two
parcels. The northern parcel has a small piece to the east of the UP, which is visible on Attachment A the
Vicinity Map. The property edge between the UP and the BNSF was also used. The total right of way
from these two lengths equals 620 linear feet, which establishes the following permitted sign message
area.
Allowable message area
60 sq.ft. per side
Allowable sign size
80 sq. ft. per side
Maximum height
Seven feet
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Total number of free - standing signs'
Two
• Total height of the sign structure may not exceed the height of the tallest building on the premises,
except for sites over 85 acres, the height may exceed the tallest building but shall not exceed 115
feet.
The 24 foot tall canopy over the western staircase is the tallest structure on the site.
• No more than two grand monument signs are allowed on the premises.
Staff thinks that the second Sound Transit sign located 900 feet from Longacres Way will not be
discernible and therefore does not need a sign permit and is not subject to the Sign Code regulations. The
BAR is only reviewing the one Sound Transit freestanding sign along Longacres Way.
B. Master Sign Program Decision Criteria
A Master Sign Program may be approved if all of the following criteria are met ((19.32.040 TMC.) The
applicant's responses to the criteria are in Attachment F.
1. The Master Sign Program meets the intent of the Sign Code as well or better than the
signage allowed under the standard code provisions.
The intent of the Sign Code is to:
• create a sign environment that attracts and invites rather than demands the public's attention;
• have streets that appear orderly and safe, because clutter is minimized;
• have signs that enhance the visual environment because they are in harmony with building and
landscape design;
• allow business identification; and
• allow signs that utilize high quality construction materials, fine architectural detailing, harmonious
proportions and that serve a multi -modal environment.
The 10.8 acre Sound Transit site is secluded from City streets due to the railroad berms, the lowered
elevation of the Strander Boulevard extension and the lack of accessibility to the east from Longacres
Way. The most impacted by the site signage is the property to the north of the site, which is currently
vacant but had previously been the subject of a multi - family apartment building.
The sign area for the proposed grand monument sign is approximately a third of what is allowed on the
site. The request is a deviation from the maximum height limit of 7 feet.
2. The requested deviations from the code respond to the specific characteristics or use of the
premises.
I A property that borders on more than one public street, has less than 800 total linear frontage, has at least 200 feet of frontage
and each street provides access, may have one monument sign per street frontage.
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Sound Transit has created a uniform signage program that is implemented region wide. The purpose of
their signage is to brand their system, have the signage identifiable system wide and have consistency
across multiple jurisdictions. The proposed freestanding sign meets the standards established for grand
monument signs within Tukwila's Sign Code. The message primarily relies on graphics to convey the
necessary information.
3. The program complies with the applicable standards in this chapter.
The signage complies with the sign code if the signs are modified to meet the proposed conditions. The
site's address needs to be added to the freestanding signs and modification of the one of the sign panels is
suggested in order for the definition of monument sign to be met.
4. The existing and proposed signage is integrated with an overall lighting scheme for the
project site to create a safe, lively and inviting nighttime environment if the site is in a
commercial zone.
There is no specific lighting proposed for the signs, the applicant instead is relying on overall site lighting
to provide readability during nighttime hours. The site, parking lot, and driveway lighting ranges from .5
to 3.0 foot - candles at ground level. Under the transit shelters the lighting increases to a range of from 6.4-
12.4 foot - candles. The train platforms are highest with ranges from 6 -16 foot - candles.
5. No sign related code enforcement violations on the premises for at least one year prior to
submitting the Master Sign Program application,
There have been no code enforcement violations for the past year nor are there any active violations on
the premises.
6. The program must contain a schedule for the removal of all non - conforming signs on the
premise within three years from the date of the Master Sign Program approval.
No signage exists on the vacant site other than the Land Use Application board which may be removed
after the appeal period has expired on this decision.
Conclusions
The proposal meets the intent of the Sign Code.
In order to meet the definition of a monument sign, and not appear as a pole sign, one of the sign panels
should be integrated with the sign base.
The proposal meets the standards for a Master Sign Program:
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• if the address is attached to the sign per the Permanent Free Standing Signage in Commercial
Industrial Zones Section #5 Address section. (19.20.040(5) TMC) and
• if the design of the sign is modified to have some portion of the sign area along the base in order
to meet the definition of a "monument sign"
Decision
Staff recommends that the Board of Architectural Review approve Sound Transit's application for a
Master Sign Program subject to administrative approval for:
1. Compliance with the requirement for showing the site's address on the sign; and
2. Modification of one of the three panels such that it extends down and touches the base.
After approval of a Master Sign Program, no permanent signs may be erected, placed, painted or
maintained, except in conformance with such plan and such plan shall be enforced in the same way as any
provision of the Sign Code. The Master Sign Program shall be recorded on the property title.
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