SR-106-039
PCD:SF:JT:SHK:f:\plan\share\council\strpt\meritsignappt.doc
Council Mtg: October 26, 1999 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Recommendation for Appointments to the Meritorious Sign Review Board
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends appointments to the Meritorious Sign Review Board.
BACKGROUND
In April 1985, the City Council enacted a new sign code. Section 9.52.210 (d) of this
code requires five non-conforming sign types, (free-standing, projecting, upper level,
roof and off-premises) be removed by April 11, 2000. In February 1998, the Planning
Commission expressed concern that there may be nonconforming signs worthy of
preservation due to their historic, cultural or aesthetic merit. In discussion, the
Planning Commission referred to these potentially significant signs as “meritorious.”
On March 23, 1999, the City Council approved the establishment of a Meritorious Sign
Task Force (Task Force) and directed staff to initiate an amendment to the Sign
Ordinance to provide an exemption from Section 9.52.210(d) for meritorious signs,
finalize the selection criteria and create a designation process. On June 8, 1999, the
City Council appointed five members to the Task Force.
The Task Force held four public meetings during July and August 1999 to discuss and
finalize the recommended criteria for meritorious sign designation. The Task Force
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examined various criteria, distilling six potential categories into two: historically
significant and contemporary cultural. On September 14, 1999, the City Council
approved an ordinance to modify the Sign Code to permit signs designated as
meritorious to remain when they would otherwise be required to be removed by April
2000. The ordinance also establishes the criteria for designation of meritorious signs,
the Meritorious Sign Review Board (Review Board) and the procedure for review and
designation of meritorious signs.
The ordinance adds Section 9.52.250 (b) to the Sign Code, which establishes a
Review Board composed of the following five members:
1. A member of the Architectural Review Board
2. A member of the Landmarks Commission
3. A member of the Planning Commission
4. A member of the business community
5. An at-large community representative
The Review Board will identify at one time all the signs eligible for meritorious
designation. The draft designation list of meritorious signs will be sent to all business
and property owners for review and comment. After a hearing, the Review Board will
adopt the final list of meritorious signs, appealable to the City Council or its designee.
The Review Board will be dissolved after the final designations have been made.
Planning staff recommends that the following representatives, appointed by the City
Council to the Task Force, continue as the Review Board:
• Sergio Zeballos, (Member of Architectural Review Board)
• R. Scott Page, (Member of Landmarks Commission)
• Ken Breisch, (Member of Planning Commission)
• John Bohn, (Member of business community)
• Herb Katz, (Member of the community at-large)
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BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
The recommendation presented in this report does not have any budget or fiscal
impact.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Council appoint the five members of the Meritorious Sign
Task Force to the Meritorious Sign Review Board.
Prepared by: Suzanne Frick, Director
Jay Trevino, AICP, Planning Manager
Susan Healy Keene, AICP, Acting Senior Planner
Planning and Community Development Department
City Planning Division
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