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City of Hartford Planning & Zoning CommissionConnecticuts Capital City Staff Report

Special Permit to Construct a Changeable

Electronic Outdoor Advertising Sign

15 Flower Street

Applicant

Chris Adams, Adams

Ahern, Inc.

Owner

The Hartford Courant

Staff

Name Jonathan E.

Mullen, AICP

Title Principal Planner

Email

mullj002@hartford.gov

Phone (860) 757-9050

Zone

C-1

POCD Designation

Mixed Use Commercial,

Office, Residential

Lot Size

1.5 Acres

Current Use

Parking Lot

Applicable Zoning

Regulations

1007 Zoning Districts

Where Signs Are Permit-

ted

Notification

Hartford Courant

Nov 30, & Dec 7, 2012

PROPOSAL

The applicant intends to construct a 64 foot, single faced ,changeable electronic

door advertising sign (CEOAS) on a single freestanding pole. The applicant inte

to construct the sign at the northwest corner of the site 47 feet to the south of I-84

The sign will be visible to those traveling east bound on I-84.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Should the Commission feel that the addition of a CEOAS, given the information

this report as well as all testimony heard, will not adversely affect traffic safety an

wish to grant a special permit to allow the construction of a changeable electronic

sign at 15 Flower Street an appropriate resolution is attached.

.

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REVIEW

SITE DESCRIPTION

The site is 1.5 acre site located in the C-1 zoning district in the Frog Hollow neighborhood. The site is use

as a parking lot for the Hartford Courant to the east across Flower Street.

ADJACENT USES

NORTH I-84

SOUTH A former office manufacturing building

EAST The Hartford Courant

WEST A parking lot

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The applicant intends to construct a 64 foot, single faced ,changeable electronic outdoor advertising sign

CEOAS) on a single freestanding pole. The applicant intends to construct the sign at the northwest corn

of the site 47 feet to the south of I-84 The sign will be visible to those traveling east bound on I-84.

View of proposed location of CEOAS, looking Northeast, and Northwest

LocationofproposedChangeableElectronicOutdoorAdvertisingSign

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PROXMITY TO OTHER OUTDOOR ADVERTISING SIGNS

Section 1009 (5) of the Zoning regulations states that New outdoor advertising signs, both static and

hangeable electronic shall be spaced at a radius of not less than one thousand (1000) feet from each

other The proposed CEOAS is located approximately 1,055 linear feet and 1,584 linear feet from the c

est outdoor advertising signs. It should also be noted that the proposed CEOAS will be located 502 feet

rom a rooftop sign atop the Hartford Courant .

1055FEET

1584FEET

502FEET

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HEIGHT

The total height for the entire proposed CEOAS structure from the ground to the top of the sign is 60 fee

Section 1009 (10) states the height of outdoor advertising signs within 660 feet of a highway is measured

rom the median height of the highway travel lanes to the top of the sign. By that method of measuremen

he height of the proposed CEOAS from highway grade to the top of the sign is 26 feet.

TopofSign=106feet

MedianHighwayHeight=80feet

GroundElevation=80feet

HeightofSign =10680=26Feet

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ZONING ANALYSIS

The proposed changeable electronic outdoor advertising sign meets all the zoning requirements with rega

o size, height, distance from the interstate and proximity to other outdoor advertising signs. Because this

project is being applied for under a Special Permit the Commission should take into consideration other fa

ors besides compliance with the Zoning Regulations.

The key factor that should be considered in the Commissions decision is safety. The segment of I-84 wh

he applicant is proposing to locate a new CEOAS adjacent to can be very congested , and has visual ele

ments that have the potential to distract drivers. As noted in the proximity to other outdoor advertising sig

ection of this report, the proposed sign is approximately of a large rooftop sign atop the Hartford Couran

building to the east across flower street. Although it does not meet the definition of an outdoor advertising

ign in that it does not advertise goods or services not available on the site, it is of the same size and scal

of an outdoor advertising sign. There are also illuminated business signs just bellow the roof line of the H

ord Courant building located at 285 Broad Street and a business sign located on the Aetna Insurance Co

pany building located at 151 Farmington Avenue. In addition to the business signage, drivers also have F

eral Highway identification and directional signs to focus on. Further, drivers also have to pay attention to

merging traffic for the on and off ramps located in this segment of I-84.

The area where the applicant proposes to construct a Changeable Electronic Sign is visually complex wit

everal elements that could prove to be distracting to drivers along I-84 eastbound. Should the Commiss

eel that the addition of a CEOAS, given the information in this report as well as all testimony heard, will n

adversely affect traffic safety and wish to grant a special permit to allow the construction of a changeable

electronic sign at 15 Flower Street an appropriate resolution is attached.

ApproximateLocationofProposed

ChangeableElectronicOutdoorAdvertis

ingSign

FederalHighwaySigns

ExistingBusinessSignage

AreasofMergingTraffic