CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA
                  CITY COUNCIL AGENDA



  Agenda Date:        August 1, 2022

  Action Required:    Approval of Comprehensive Signage Plan for 920 E. High Street

  Presenter:          Jeffrey Werner, Historic Preservation and Design Planner

  Staff Contacts:     Jeffrey Werner, Historic Preservation and Design Planner

  Title:              Comprehensive Signage Plan for 920 E. High Street (1 reading)


Background
Per Sec 34-1045, applicants for a development subject to Site Plan review and within an Entrance
Corridor Overlay may request approval of a Comprehensive Signage Plan (CSP). City Council may
approve a CSP upon a determination there is good cause for deviating from the sign ordinance and
the CSP will serve the public purposes and objectives at least as well, or better, than signage
allowed by-right and, in evaluating a request, consider the recommendations of the Planning
Commission and the ERB.

On June 12, 2018, the Entrance Corridor Review Board (ERB) approved a Certificate of
Appropriateness for a three-story medical office building and a two-story rear parking deck at the
parcel located at the NE corner of East High Street and 10th Street NE.

In November 2020, the applicant requested approval of a CSP in order to allow three monument
signs on the property—City Code allows one monument sign and limits the size. On July 12, 2022,
the ERB and Planning Commission reviewed the CSP and recommended Council approve the plan
with the inclusion of staff’s recommended conditions.

Proposed Action: Approve the Comprehensive Signage Plan for 920 East High Street as
presented, referenced, and expressed in the July 12, 2022 staff report to Planning Commission and
Entrance Corridor Review Board and will incorporate the two conditions recommended by staff.

Discussion
This medical office facility is located on a corner lot with access to the rear parking structure from an
entrance off East High Street and an entrance off 10th Street NE. The primary and largest monument
sign is located at this corner and prominently identifies the facility. The two smaller monument signs
provide direction at the two separate entrances to the parking structure.

On July 12, 2022, the City’s Planning Commission reviewed the request at an advertised public
hearing and, in approving the Consent Agenda, adopted the following motion: "Having considered
the standards set forth within the City Code, including City’s Entrance Corridor Design Guidelines, I
move to find that the Comprehensive Signage Plan for 920 East High Street, satisfies the ERB’s
criteria and is compatible with this Entrance Corridor and that the ERB recommends City Council
approve this Comprehensive Signage Plan as submitted with the two conditions recommended by
staff."

Alignment with City Council's Vision and Strategic Plan
Approval of this CSP aligns with Council’s vision for Economic Sustainability :
•     The City has facilitated significant mixed and infill development within the City.

Community Engagement
As with other actions related to the project’s design review, abutting property owners were notified
prior to the meeting. There were no public comments at the July 12, 2022 meeting.

Budgetary Impact
Approval of this CSP will have no budgetary impact.

Recommendation
The ERB and Planning Commission reviewed this item at the July 12, 2022 meeting and, by vote,
recommended Council approve the Comprehensive Signage Plan for 920 East High Street as
referenced in the July 12, 2022 staff report to the ERB and Planning Commission, including the
conditions therein recommended by staff. Staff concurs with the recommendation above.

Recommended Motion: "I move the RESOLUTION approving a Comprehensive Signage Plan for
920 East High Street"

Alternatives
City Council may, by motion, approve the attached Resolution. By motion, Council may also deny
approval of the Proposed Comprehensive Signage Plan. (If Council denies approval of the
Comprehensive Signage Plan, the Landowner may either revise and resubmit the CSP or proceed
with all signage being subject to the generally applicable signage regulations set forth within Chapter
34 of the City Code, Article IX, Division 4 (Signs)).

Attachments
1.   920 East High St - CSP - ERB staff report and attachments (Final June 29 2022)
2.   Resolution - CC - CSP 920 East High