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Location, Zoning and
Current Land Use:
The property is located
along Catlett Road and zoned a combination of Residential
(R-1) and Commercial – Highway (C-2), and is the site of an
Exxon service station, Hardware Store and Food Mart.
Zoning Map
Surrounding
Zoning and Current Land Use:
Property to the north is
zoned Rural Agricultural (RA) and is residential/farmland.
Property to the east is zoned a combination of Industrial
(I-1) and Commercial (C-1) and is a combination of vacant
land and existing small scale commercial and industrial
uses. The Catlett Volunteer Fire and Rescue is to the south
on Commercial (C-1) property. Property to the west is zoned
Residential (R-1) and contains a mixture of vacant land and
residential properties.
Comprehensive Plan/Land Use:
The property is located
within the Catlett Service District and has a designation in
the Comprehensive Plan as Commercial Highway. The
Comprehensive Plan states “additional commercial along
Route 28 is encouraged in the area where the existing
grocery store, bank and gas/convenience mart are already
located.”
Land Use Map
Special Exception Analysis:
Article 5-006, General
Standards
General standards seek to
ensure that the requested use does not adversely affect
neighboring properties. Adjacent sites to the north and west
where signs are proposed are all sites of existing
businesses.
Article 8-1502, Special Exceptions and Permits (Regarding
Signage in Commercial and Industrial Zones)
In considering a request for
such special exception, the Board may approve or deny the
request in accordance with the general standards for Special
Exceptions set forth in Section 5-006, and by consideration
of the following, provided, however, that the total
permitted sign area not be increased by more than one
hundred percent (100%) and that the total area for any one
sign not exceed the allowable limits already set forth in
Section 8-1501 for particular permitted sign types:
1.
The nature of the proposed use, including such factors as
whether the use is a destination or one that relies more on
drive-by visibility; and
The use is a service station, which the owner states relies
partially on drive-by visibility. The site is visible to
anyone traveling Route 28; the pumps are located
approximately 23 feet from the edge of right-of-way and the
building is located approximately 75 feet from the edge of
right-of-way.
2.
The character of the existing area and the impact on the
visual appearance of adjacent and nearby properties and
rights-of-way, particularly entrances to the County from the
interstate highways or surrounding jurisdictions, and the
major streets leading from those entrances; and
The
existing area contains a mix of commercial uses, including
the gas station, hardware store, food mart, and bank. The
property fronts on Route 28, Catlett Road. Route 28,
Catlett Road, is classified as minor arterial.
3.
Whether a unique situation exists, causing a need that is
not recurring in nature; and
There does not appear to be a unique situation associated
with this request.
4.
The area’s designation in the County’s Comprehensive Plan;
and
The area is designated as Commercial Highway in the County’s
Comprehensive Plan.
5.
The existence of a special visual obstruction or difficulty
in locating the use, making the application of the general
provisions of this section too restrictive.
There does not appear to be any visual obstruction. As
previously stated, the gas station and pumps are all located
within 75 feet of Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
right-of-way for Route 28.
Staff and Review Agency
Comments:
Zoning Office
1.
Zoning:
The subject property is located along Route 28 in Catlett,
approximately 1¾ miles from the Prince William
County/Fauquier County boundary line. The property contains
54.24 acres. An estimated one-quarter of the property, is
zoned C-2 commercial. The C-2 zoning is located along the
Route 28 frontage of the property for a depth of
approximately 270-300 feet. The remainder of the lot is
zoned R-1/Residential.
2. General Zoning
Ordinance Sign Regulations: The property is occupied by
multiple buildings and uses with the commercial uses,
including the Exxon, within 500 feet of Route 28 frontage
toward the eastern end. The Exxon station shares a
building with the “Trenis Hardware Store.” The gas
station and hardware store are physically linked and under
the same management and the old sign permits from 1988
treated them as one tenant for the purposes of sign
allowance. The Zoning Ordinance generally limits a property
to 150 square feet of signage. However, where multiple
tenants occupy a property, the signage allowed for each
tenant is generally calculated based on the individual
building frontage, with each limited to 2 square feet of
signage for the first 50 feet of building frontage plus 1
square foot of signage for each additional foot of building
frontage, up to a maximum of 150 square feet. (Zoning
Ordinance §8-1501.1.B(2)) Therefore, instead of the
multiple businesses on the entire property sharing 150
square feet of signage, the Exxon/Hardware building is
sufficient in size to be allocated 150 square feet for the
structure alone, exclusive of the other businesses such as
the food mart, etc.
The Zoning
Ordinance addresses signage for gas stations specifically.
As with other uses, a basic sign budget is calculated
utilizing the building frontage, but in addition, the
signage provisions for gas stations also allow certain
specific signage that is not counted toward the maximum sign
allowance.
3.
Specific
Signage Allowed by Zoning Ordinance for Use:
In this case, staff estimates (as the applicant has not
provided precise figures) that the Exxon Station has 55 feet
of building frontage, giving it a total sign budget of 105
square feet. The following signs are allowed by the Zoning
Ordinance within this sign budget:
1. A freestanding
sign up to 50 square feet and 20 feet in height.
2. A second
freestanding sign up to 10 square feet and 4 feet in height
for prices only.
3. Building signs.
4. Signage on
gasoline pumps.
The following
additional signs are also allowed for gasoline stations, and
are not counted toward the sign budget:
5. A 2.5
square foot sign identifying proprietor, address, phone.
6. Vending machine
signage when within a building enclosed on 3 sides.
7.
Building signs identifying the special functions of service
bays.
8.
Temporary window signs.
(Section
8-1501.2.H of the Zoning Ordinance)
4.
Permitted
Signage: County
records show that two signs have been approved for the Exxon
station (Permit #30724, December 1988):
1. Freestanding Exxon/Price Sign: 48.5 SF
(20’ height)
2. Exxon Building Sign:
12 SF
Total: 60.5 SF
5.
Existing
Signage: Staff
has had some difficulty assessing the total signage existing
on the site, given the multiple businesses and profusion of
changing and illegal signage on the overall site, and
difficulty in measuring signs out-of-reach. None of the
existing signage related to the Exxon/Hardware store has
required permits. Based on the information submitted by
the applicant and staff’s general estimate of sign area, the
following signage exists on the site related to the Exxon:
1.
Freestanding Exxon/Price Sign: 149.29 SF (24’ height)
2.
Building Sign Exxon:
30.00 SF
3.
Building Sign Hardware: 42.66 SF
4.
Canopy Signs (2 @ 40.5 sf): 81.00 SF
5. Pump
Signs (4 @ 8 sf): 32.00 SF
6.
Freestanding Message Sign: 20.00 SF
7. Misc.
Banners & Placards
(changes-12 counted at
last visit): 100 SF
Total: 454.95 SF
6.
Proposed
New Signage:
The applicant is proposing two new canopy signs identified
as 12.39 SF each in size. It appears the size has been
incorrectly calculated, and the actual area of each sign is
approximately 16 SF, for a total of 32 SF. (Staff has asked
applicant for a recalculation). These canopy signs would
replace canopy signs which the applicant indicates are
currently 90 SF in size. It is unclear how this size was
calculated.
Although the
applicant has not specified all of the existing signs or
which signs are to be legally permitted and remain, Zoning
Staff’s understanding is that the applicant seeks to end up
with the following signage:
1.
Freestanding Exxon/Price Sign: 149.29 SF (24’ height)
2.
Building Sign Exxon:
30.00 SF
4.
Building Sign Hardware: 42.66 SF
5.
Canopy Signs (2 @ 16 sf): 32.00 SF
6. Pump
Signs (4 @ 3 sf): 12.00 SF
7. Misc.
seasonal freestanding: 32.00 SF
Total 297.95 SF
This presumes
removal of multiple signs, including existing canopy signs,
pump signs, and multiple temporary placards and banners. It
does not presume removal of the oversized freestanding sign.
Under the text
amendment, the Special Exception (SE) can approve a maximum
of 300 SF of signage for this site. The Board of
Supervisors can approve an increase in signage to allow the
Zoning Administrator to approve sign permits for the
proposed canopy and pump signs. Staff notes that there is
no authority under the SE to approve a freestanding sign of
the existing size (149 SF); no single sign may be larger
than the maximum size under the ordinance. The maximum size
for any freestanding sign under the Zoning Ordinance is 75
square feet. Therefore the existing freestanding sign will
remain a Zoning Violation even if the SE is approved.
Planning Commission
Action:
On September 28, 2008 the
Fauquier County Planning Commission recommended approval of
the Special Exception request with a four to one vote
subject to certain conditions listed below. One condition
states, “The Special Exception shall expire one year after
the Board of Supervisor’s adoption of a new sign
ordinance.” The Planning Commission stated that with the
upcoming review and eventual adoption of a new sign
ordinance, a limit should be placed on the approval.
Summary and Recommendation:
If the Board of Supervisors
wishes to approve the Special Exception, staff recommends
doing so subject to the following conditions of approval
(this assumes approval of the seasonal freestanding sign as
part of the Special Exception):
1.
The Special Exception is for a maximum of 147.95
square feet of additional signage over the 150 square feet
allowed.
2.
Zoning permits shall be obtained for the Building
Hardware sign, two canopy signs and four pump signs.
3.
Multiple signs, including existing canopy signs, pump
signs, and multiple temporary placards and banners shall be
removed within fifteen days of Special Exception approval or
the Special Exception shall be null and void.
4.
All unpermitted signs shall require an approved
zoning permit before installation.
5.
The Special Exception shall expire one (1) year after
the Board of Supervisors’ adoption of a new sign
ordinance.
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