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Home My WebLink About437-BADATE: February 3,2000 TO: Board of Adjustment FROM: Stephen C. Richardson, Planning Manager SUBJECT: Request for variances to the regulations, for an owner identification sign in a residential zoning district. The proposed sign would be 70 square feet instead of the required 50 square feet. The sign would also have an intermittently illuminated reader board. FILE: 437-13A STAFF REPORT Calvary Baptist Church at 3650 Dowlen Road wishes to install a 15 foot tall owner identification sign which will be set back 15 feet from the front property line. The sign will set on a pylon 8 foot above grade. The church wants a 7' x 10' sign for a total sign area of 70 square feet. The ordinance was recently amended to allow a maximum sign area in residential districts of 50 square feet. Prior to 1999 only 20 square feet was allowed. Internal illumination is also now allowed, whereas prior to 1999, it was not permitted. The sign would also have an intermittently illuminated reader board. The ordinance states that signs shall not have flashing lights, any type of intermittent illumination or revolve in any mariner. The City of Beaumont is presently studying an area of west Beaumont - which includes the subject property - concerning a sign overlay district, The City Planning Commission and the City Council have participated in several workshops to create the overlay district. One of several proposals is to allow only monument type signs and not to permit pylon signs. The church now has a brick monument sign in front of the property at 3650 Dowlen Road. The applicant has the burden of proof to show that conditions A, B and C for a variance have been met. Exhibits are attached. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION Notices mailed to property owners 17 Responses in Favor . Responses in Opposition Fittz & Shipman INC Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors January 14, 2000 City of Beaumont Planning Department 801 Main Street Beaumont, Texas 77701 Attention: Murray Duren Senior Planner Reference: Request for Variance Sign Ordinance No. 99-53 Calvary Baptist Church 3650 Dowlen Road Dear Mr. Duren: On behalf of our client, Calvary Baptist Church, please find attached our application for a variance to the subject ordinan-ce. We, wish to appear before the Board of Adjustments on February 3, 2000. We respectfully request a variance to the 50 square feet minimum sign area. The proposed church sign is 70 square feet (see attached dlrawing). Also the proposed sign has a "message board" on it which could be considered intermittent illumination. The sign area. shown as "God Loves Everyone" would be changing to transmit messages of the church's activities. We feel, that these various requests would not be contrary to the public's interest and wou](1 enhance the church's public identity. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. submitted, R chments Bo Crawford 24 E OF %%t 0 0 • to, J0 OL 6706,9 CITY OF BEAUMONT PLANNING DIVISION F D JAN 1 '4 2000 440 181h Street, Suite A 9 Beaumont, Texas 77707 * (409) 832-7238 * fax (409) 832-7303 VARIANCE SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION FORM BEAUMONT, TEXAS (CODES SECTION 30-37 E.3) The Board of Adjustment has the power to grant variances where the following listed conditions have been met. Indicate how your application meets each of these conditions in the space following each condition, (The applicant has the burden of proof to demonstrate that all three of the conditions necessary for a variance have been met). Except as otherwis ' c prohibited, the Board is empowered to authorize a variance from a requirement of the Zoning Ordinance when the Board finds that all of the following conditions have been met: CONDITIONA: That the granting of the variance will not be contrary to the public interest, See Exhibit "A" CONDITION B: That literal enforcement of the ordinance will result in unnecessary hardship because of exceptional narrowness, shallowness, shape topography or other extraordinary or exceptional physical situation or physical condition unique to the specific piece of property in question. "Unnecessary hardship" shall mean physical hardship relating to the"property itself as distinguished from a hardship relating to convenience, financial considerations or caprice, and the hardship must not result from the applicant or ownees own actions, See Exhibit "A" CONDITION C: That by granting the variance, the spirit of the ordinance will be observed and substantial justice will be done. See Exhibit "A" I HEREBY ATTEST THAT, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, MY REQUEST MEETS THE CONDITIONS STATED ABOVE. Applicant's Date: January 14, 2000 EXHIBIT'A' I. 1 CONSISTENT' WITH THE PUBLIC INTEREST (CONDITION A) The purpose of the slightly large, illuminated sign is to make it easier for church, members and other patrons of the community to read the two lines of 10"' changeable letters from the street. Reading the name of the church and the other information contained on the changeable sign will be of value not only to church members, but also to persons within the community and throughout the city who may be looking for a church affiliation or those who maybe interested in a particular church, activity. 2. LITERAL ENFORCEMENT: AN UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP (CONDITION B) Although Calvary Baptist Church covers nineteen acres, the location, of the church offices is such that the signage variances are necessary to provide better access to its information. It is also important that the sign be 8 feet off the ground in order to prevent vandals or pranksters from damaging the sign. Having illuminated sigh also discourages vandalism, Requiring a smaller sign will create an unnecessary hardship. in that the sign cannot be read at night or in inclement weather. Also, the posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour would require motorists to slow down in order to read the sign. This could cause traffic accidents, 3. SPIRIT OF THE ORDINANCE (CONDITION C) If the variances are granted, the spirit of the ordinance will have been maintained. The church respectfully submits that it is very much in the interest of all persons in the community that the attached sign be used; that it not be available to damage by vandals, that it be illumined for easier reading, that it carry sufficient information to inform the Baptist community and citizens of Beaumont as to the times and other details of the church's activities. In summary, while, the variances are slight,, the benefits to the Baptist community and the citizens of Beaumont will be substantial. CALVARY�. BEAUMONT A SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH rrii.r sYN•r N iY• •W NYNN• YY} : rY rr r M M •.rr+ .•. MYY••.W ♦ •r «•YiY «` rr «Y • !i K «Yii•r. '«� *•.rrri rN «r «i .••r!i !'« �.«.. ««:N••r `" ��y� ,.t"+-n%�r�, �w� t \�• {� LC:+="' 'fs �i"i"° �:¢7�,�,,.��y:, •y'�','.arch.�n: oil t "l ♦ ,� „ � .;fie � ^� • � T r ie � Y x "yF 1 y 0 ..t m . 1�A IFOLSOM DR. _. ... M1N xolZrw LIKE RExEmm. KIA, ffiX 437-BA: Request for a variance to the sign regulations for an owner NORTH identification sign in an RS (Residential Single Family Dwelling) district, to allow a 70 square !foot sign Instead of the 50 square feet allowed by ordinance. Location: 3650 Dowlen Road Applicant: Fittz and Shipman, Inc. for Calvary Baptist Church SCAB 111=200' ° WESLEY UNITED'.METHor)IST CHURCH' t LOCAMON OF PROPOSED SIGN V (u(upp �i CALVARY ov BAPTIST CHURCH ° 714 It °s { qY m .i fV1 Y.M.0 A. t, r=% M. Z Li ' - OFFICE DEVELOPMENT " SITE BARRINGTON HEIGHTS ++• py °.. GENERAL INFORMATION/PUBLIC UTILITIES APPLICANT: INN91991 STATUS OF APPLICANT: lKelffauffla LEGAL DESCRIPTION: EXISTING ZQNING: PROPERTY SIZE: EXISTING LAND USES: SURROUNDING LAND USES: NORTH: Wesley United Methodist Church EAST: Hillebrandt Bayou SOUTH: DD#6 ditch and office development site WEST: Dowlen Road, YMCA teruus courts and commercial tract COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: OTHER PHYSICAL FEATURES: STREETS: Fittz, and Shipman, Inc. Calvary Baptist Church Consulting engineer 3650 Dowlen Road Pail of Tax Roll Tract No. 54-D, Plat D-26, H. Williams Survey, Ab-56, Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas. RS (Residential Single Family Dwelling) 11.2 acres Church and four other church related buildings "C" - Minimal flood hazard zone SURROUNDING ZONING: RS (Residential Single Family Dwelling) District RS RM-H (Residential Multiple Family Dwelling -Highest Density) District RS and GC -MD, (General Commercial -Multiple Family Dwelling) Neighborhood Growth Unit (originally a Growth Reserve/West Beaumont oil field) None Dowlen Road is a major arterial with a 100' wide right-of-way, a divided and raised median and two lanes northbound and two lanes southbound. DRAINAGE: Storm sewers, ditches, bayou GENERAL INFORMATION/PUBLIC UTILITIES continued WATER: SANITARY SEWER SERVICE: FIRE. PROTECTION: Existing Existing Fire protection is provided by Station #8 and Station #9. ADEQUACY OF SERVICE: Services are adequate.