31A - VARIANCE -1525 AND 1551 N TUSTIN

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Variance Nos. 2015 -03 & 2015 -04 April 27, 2015 Page 2 Project Descriotion Tustin Centre is requesting approval of three additional major building identification signs: two on an existing 10 -story office tower and one on an existing four -story office building. Pursuant to SAMC Section 41 -867, each office building is permitted a maximum of two major building identification signs, which are top -floor signs typically used to identify the primary tenant(s) of an office building, Each building that is the subject of the variance applications requires review and approval of an individual variance as the complex is an integrated development site comprised of individual parcels and separate addresses. If approved; the first variance (Variance No. 2015 -03) would allow two additional major building identification signs for a total of four major building identification signs on the 10 -story office tower located at 1551 North Tustin Avenue. The signs would be placed on the top (tenth) level facing northeast toward Seventeenth Street and the Costa Mesa Freeway, southeast toward the Costa Mesa Freeway, southwest toward Tustin Avenue and the Costa Mesa Freeway, and northwest toward Seventeenth Street and Tustin Avenue. The second variance (Variance No. 2015 -04) would allow one additional major building identification sign for a total of three major building identification signs on the four -story office building at 1525 North Tustin Avenue. The signs would be placed on the top level facing north toward Seventeenth Street, west toward Tustin Avenue and Seventeenth Street, and south toward Tustin Avenue (Exhibit 4). Project Background Tustin Centre is a mixed -use office and health club complex with a variety of office spaces, an LA Fitness gymnasium, and a multi -level parking structure. The complex contains contemporary architecture. The 10 -story, 149 -foot tall office tower contains multiple facades that results in the structure having two distinct wings. The four -story, 66 -foot tall office building features a traditional rectangular space. The entire complex is highly visible, situated prominently near the Seventeenth Street interchange with the Costa Mesa Freeway, and can also be seen from Tustin Avenue and stretches of the Seventeenth Street corridor through Santa Ana, unincorporated County of Orange areas, and neighboring Tustin. Since 1990, a handful of planned sign programs have been approved at Tustin Centre. These sign programs have established uniform colors, fonts, signage types and styles, and other details for proposed or existing signage at the complex. In 2014, the applicant applied for a new sign program to refresh the existing signage at Tustin Centre. The applicants and staff worked together in the subsequent period to refine the proposed sign program and identified signage that would require approval of a variance. The applicant is requesting approval of a variance to allow additional signage for branding and tenant advertising purposes. During this time, the property owner has also completed site improvements for new disabled- access parking and pathways, landscaping, and hardscaping as part of the upgrading of the project site's aesthetics. 31A-4