Full Text
29 C H A P T E R 3 D E S I G N G U I D E L I N E S S I G N S 3.3. Sign Guidelines This section contains recommendations for the design, construction and placement of signs. The guidelines in this section supplement (but do not replace) the sign regulations established by Chapter 8.84 (Sign Regulations) of the City of Dublin Zoning Ordinance. All signs will be required to conform with the Zoning Ordinance (except where modified by these guidelines) and shall be approved by the City. Existing signs that were previously permitted by the City of Dublin, but that do not comply with the guidelines in this document, should be treated as non-conforming signs. They should be permitted to remain until any of the following events occur: The property is improved. The sign is relocated or replaced. The sign structure is damaged or destroyed by more than 50 percent of its value at the time of damage or destruction. Repair of a sign that costs more than 50 percent of its current value. 3.3.1. Sign Considerations and General Guidelines Sign clutter on buildings and sites should be avoided by considering the placement, spacing, size, orientation, scale, and design of signs. Signs should be compatible with the modern and postmodern architectural style of the building (refer to page 21 and 22 for a description of modern and postmodern architectural styles). Sign elements should fit with the overarching theme or character of buildings on the site. In addition to the sign requirements in the Zoning Ordinance, a Master Sign Program shall be required for buildings with more than three tenants. This program should ensure that each tenant sign has an appropriate and compatible size, location, shape, orientation, and scale. The number of signs should be in proportion to the length of the property as determined by the Community Development Director. All signs on a property should share common design elements, such as: Materials. Size. Shape. Lighting technique. Placement. Alignment. Method of attachment. Different types of signs that share a common design elements (Encouraged). ---PAGE BREAK--- 30 3.3.2. Inappropriate Signage The project applicant should review the Zoning Ordinance for a full list of sign regulations. The following types of signs are prohibited: Signboards mounted on or above the roof. Signs painted directly on a building. Amateur or poorly crafted hand-painted signs. Neon signs, billboards, permanent banners, or plywood signs. Window signs occupying more than 25% of an individual window’s area (including those directly painted on window). Permanent inflatable signs and moving/rotating signs (electronic or windblown), including those that produce smoke or sound. Handheld signs, sidewalk signs, sandwich boards (A-frame), and other portable freestanding signs. Signs, flags, streamers or banners that are attached to or lean on a fence, wall or pole, or that are not securely attached to the building or a designed sign base, such as a monument sign. Freestanding single-pole signs (Lollipop signs) Signs on public right-of-way. Signs attached to a fence Inappropriate signs (Discouraged). Inappropriate signs (Discouraged). ---PAGE BREAK--- 31 C H A P T E R 3 D E S I G N G U I D E L I N E S S I G N S 3.3.3. Appropriate Signage The following types of signs are encouraged: Wall signs. Monument signs. Freeway-oriented signs. Blade signs (shingle signs) Directory Signs. Directional Signage. Guidelines for each of these signs are provided on the following pages. The number of monument signs and freeway-oriented signs shall be limited to one monument sign or one freeway sign (not both) per lot frontage. Monument Sign. Freeway-Oriented Sign. Directory Sign. Directional Signage. Wall Sign. Blade Sign. ---PAGE BREAK--- 32 3.3.4. Wall Signs Wall signs are vehicle- and pedestrian-oriented signs that are mounted flat on the facade of a building, usually above the business entrance and below the roofline of the building. Wall signs include: Raised or box/cabinet signs that are framed and mounted to the wall. Three dimensional letters, symbols, or icons that are individually cut and mounted on the wall. Wall signs should not be placed at random locations on the facade. Building facades should be designed with specific areas dedicated for wall signs. The location, placement, and size of walls signs should create a consistent pattern of signs on the facade. In general, wall signs should be placed above the building entrances and below the roofline. Wall signs should not be placed over building details, cornices, molding, windows, or other prominent design features on the building. Wall signs should not project more than 12 inches from the building facade. Mounting hardware should be an attractive and integral part of the sign design, or should be hidden behind the sign. Consistent sign patterns on facades (Encouraged). Inconsistent sign patterns on facades (Discouraged). Examples of wall signs. ---PAGE BREAK--- 33 C H A P T E R 3 D E S I G N G U I D E L I N E S S I G N S 3.3.5. Monument Signs Monument signs are freestanding signs that are attached to a freestanding monument structure. They are oriented toward pedestrians and vehicles. Monument signs should be located within the landscaped area between the sidewalk and building. These signs should be oriented perpendicular to the street or intersection and should generally be located near vehicle entrances. No more than one monument sign should be allowed per vehicle entrance (unless the entrance is a shared driveway for multiple properties). When a vehicle entrance provides access to multiple buildings or businesses, signs for each business should be co-located on one monument sign. The structure of monument signs should be rectilinear in form and scaled for use by both pedestrians and vehicles. In general, monument signs with a horizontal orientation should not exceed a height of five feet, as measured from the adjacent sidewalk grade. Monument signs with a vertical orientation and narrow width may be taller (up to eight feet). An appropriate example of a tall monument sign is the Arlen Ness sign (see photo to the left with the logo). Landscaping or a raised planter should surround a monument sign. Evergreen or flowering plants should surround the sign to help highlight and define the base of the sign and screen the support structures. High quality and durable materials, such as metal, brick, stone, tile, cast concrete, or similar masonry materials, are encouraged. Materials, finishes, and colors should be carefully selected to be in harmony with the on-site buildings. Examples of monument signs. ---PAGE BREAK--- 34 3.3.6. Blade Signs A blade sign (or a shingle sign) is a double-sided sign that projects perpendicular to the building facade and hangs from a mounted wall brace. Blade signs are primarily oriented towards pedestrians. The maximum area of a single blade sign shall not exceed 10 square feet. The lowest point of a projecting sign that hangs over a sidewalk, plaza, or pedestrian walkway shall be at least eight feet above the grade of the adjacent sidewalk or pedestrian walkway. Blade signs shall not extend more than four feet from the facade. Blade signs should be mounted above the ground floor windows near building entrances. No portion of a blade sign should extend above the roof line of the structure. Only one blade sign should be allowed per tenant. Blade signs should be externally illuminated. 4’ Maximum Width 8’ Minimum Clearance Design Standards for Projecting Signs: Example of blade sign. Example of blade sign. ---PAGE BREAK--- 35 C H A P T E R 3 D E S I G N G U I D E L I N E S S I G N S 3.3.7. Freeway-Oriented Signs Freeway-oriented signs are tall freestanding signs that are oriented towards vehicles traveling along Interstate 580. Freeway-oriented signs should only be permitted on properties along Scarlett Court and Interstate 580. Freeway-oriented signs are discouraged along Dublin Boulevard, Scarlett Drive, Dougherty Road, and the Iron Horse Trail. No more than one freeway-oriented sign is allowed per property. If a property has more than one business, signs for each business should be co-located on one freeway-oriented sign. Co-located signs are encouraged and should be designed with specific spaces to hold the individual signs for each business. The placement of multiple business signs should not create clutter on the sign. Freeway–oriented signs that are mounted on a single pole (lollipop signs) are discouraged. Freeway signs should be mounted on a solid structure or a minimum of two structural columns. Sign panels should be limited in width to fit between the structural columns. Single-pole or lollipop signs (Discouraged). Encouraged. Sign clutter (Discouraged). Co-located sign that is appropriately designed to avoid clutter (Encouraged). ---PAGE BREAK--- 36 Freeway-oriented signs should be limited to a height of 35 feet. A taller sign that allows for co-location of signs from other tenants within the Scarlet Court area may be considered for approval by the Planning Commission. Currently, the Scarlett Court area has one freeway-oriented sign with video/digital elements. Due to the limited size of the area, the City should discourage additional signs with digital/video elements. Multiple signs with video and digital elements would be distracting to drivers along Interstate 580. 3.3.8. Directory Signs Directory signs are pedestrian-oriented signs that are usually placed at eye level near building entrances. These signs may be placed on the building facade or on a freestanding structure, similar to a small monument sign. Buildings and properties with multiple tenants should have a directory sign that is placed at a convenient location and that is accessible to pedestrians. The sign design should be compatible with the architecture style and materials of the buildings on the property. Simple directory signs. Existing Freeway-oriented video sign in the Scarlett Court area. ---PAGE BREAK--- 37 C H A P T E R 3 D E S I G N G U I D E L I N E S S I G N S 3.3.9. Directional Signs Directional signs are small freestanding signs that provide direction to pedestrians and vehicles entering the property. Directional signs are located along internal driveways and pedestrian walkways. Directional signage is encouraged when the site has multiple businesses or functions. For example, directional signs should be provided to direct service trucks to loading/unloading areas and customers to appropriate parking areas. Auto dealerships should have directional signs to direct people to the appropriate department, such as the sales office, service department, or parts department. Properties with multiple businesses (especially business that are not visible from public streets) should utilize directional signage to clearly direct people to the appropriate business. Directional signage should include the name of the area or the user to be alerted, and a simple arrow. Simple directional signs. Directional signs should have a similar design and theme as all of the signs on the site. However, these signs should be smaller in terms of scale and height related to other types of monument signs. 3.3.10. Sign Area The total area of each sign category is regulated by the City of Dublin’s zoning ordinance. This information is available in Chapter 8.84 of the Zoning Ordinance. 3.3.11. Number of Signs The number of signs per business will be established by the criteria established by Chapter 8.84 of the City of Dublin Zoning Ordinance. The number of monument signs and freeway oriented signs shall be limited to one monument sign or one freeway sign per lot frontage. 3.3.12. Sign Material Sign materials should complement the overall architectural character of buildings on the property and be constructed out of high quality materials, such as acrylic, aluminum, and weather resistant wood and composite materials. Sign materials should be durable, weatherproof, and treated or painted so that they will not discolor, rust, fade, crack, or corrode. Sign materials should make a positive contribution to the legibility of the sign. Glossy finishes that cause glare and reflections are discouraged. Plywood, unfinished lumber, and neon signs are prohibited. ---PAGE BREAK--- 38 3.3.13. Sign Color Sign colors should complement the colors of adjacent buildings on the site. The color of the sign’s frame and letters should generally contrast the background of the sign or wall to maximize the sign’s legibility. Light letters on a dark background or dark letters on a light background are most legible. The color scheme should be limited to five colors to maintain visual balance. Colors or color combinations that interfere with legibility of the sign copy or that interfere with viewer identification of other signs should be avoided. 3.3.14. Sign Symbol (Logos) Symbols and corporate logos should be used for easy identification of the tenant, especially along I-580 and Dublin Boulevard. Pictographic images will usually register more quickly in the viewer’s mind than a written message. Logos are encouraged for signs facing Dublin Boulevard and I-580. 3.3.15. Sign Typology The type of font used to display text should be simple and easily readable. Bold font styles are encouraged. Lettering can be in upper case or title case. Hard to read or intricate type faces should be avoided. Discouraged. Encouraged. The text styles, font type, and size should be chosen for clear legibility from a distance. Sign letters should occupy no more than 75 percent of the designated sign area to maximize readability. Letters take up too much of the sign area (Discouraged). Letters occupy approx. 75% of the sign area (max.) (Encouraged). Letters which are hard to read (Discouraged). Simple serif or sans serif lettering (Encouraged). ---PAGE BREAK--- 39 C H A P T E R 3 D E S I G N G U I D E L I N E S S I G N S 3.3.16. Sign Lighting Appropriate types of illumination include: External lighting that is directed on the sign face or provided from an on- or off-site light pole. Backlighting of individually mounted letters and sign symbols. Internal illumination of box signs that illuminate just the letters, logos, or symbols of the sign, but not the sign background. Internally illuminated box signs that illuminate the entire sign (letters, symbols, logos, and background) are discouraged. External lighting of signs (Encouraged). Backlighting of signs (Encouraged). Internal illumination of box sign letters, logos, or symbols (Encouraged). Internal illumination of entire box sign (letters, logos, symbols, and sign background (Discouraged). ---PAGE BREAK--- 40 3.3.17. Temporary Signs All temporary signs shall confirm with the size and display period standards as required in the City of Dublin Zoning Ordinance and Municipal Code. Signs designed or intended for temporary use should not be displayed on a permanent basis. Temporary signs should not interfere with permanent signs and should retain similar color schemes and style as existing signs whenever possible. Materials should be sturdy and able to withstand rain, wind, and sun for the duration of use. Temporary window signs should not take over more than 25% of the window space. Discouraged. Encouraged.