6.4.D Master Sign Plans | Sedona Land Development Code

D. Master Sign Plans

For some developments, alternative standards and ﬂexibility in the established standards may enhance the aesthetic qualities of the development and the community. Approval of a Master Sign Plan allows for uniﬁed presentation of signage throughout a development site, ﬂexibility to provide for unique environments, and pre-approval of designs and design elements to make sign review more efficient.

a. New construction or redevelopment projects shall obtain approval of a Master Sign Plan as part of the development review process as set forth in Section 8.4.A, Development Review, prior to any signs being erected.

b. All signs erected or maintained shall conform at all times to the approved Master Sign Plan. Any deviations from an approved Master Sign Plan shall be unlawful unless and until a revised Master Sign Plan is approved.

c. For developments covering multiple properties, the property owner(s) may elect to have the entire development considered a uniﬁed development site for the purposes of the Master Sign Plan.

A Master Sign Plan shall set forth a master plan for all signage for an entire parcel or development site and include the following information:

1. Sign dimensions and approximate locations;

2. Materials and colors;

3. Proposed illumination, including illumination levels;

4. Maximum numbers of items of information per sign face;

5. A design theme with illustrative examples of each sign type and the proposed general locations of each sign type;

6. A demonstration that the Master Sign Plan will improve the aesthetics of the development and will not have an adverse impact on the use, enjoyment, or value of property in adjacent or nearby residential districts; and

7. Any other maps, drawings or materials as required by the Director (including a colored rendering of the sign) to adequately describe the sign proposal. The application and any exhibits shall become the property of the City.

Prohibited signs and sign elements are not eligible for inclusion in a Master Sign Plan unless speciﬁcally indicated in this article.

All signs shall be architecturally integrated into or complimentary to the design of the building(s) and character of the site, and shall use similar and coordinated design features, materials, and colors. The Master Sign Plan shall establish an integrated architectural vocabulary and cohesive theme for the development site.

The signage proposed in a Master Sign Plan shall not have an adverse impact on the community character of the district in which the development site is located, or of the City of Sedona.

If there are existing signs on site, they shall be treated in accordance with Section 1.6.G, Nonconforming Signs, upon adoption of the Master Sign Plan.

Signage which is proposed as part of a Master Sign Plan may deviate from the standards of this article as outlined below.

1. The height, area, number, and location of signs permitted through the Master Sign Plan shall be determined based on the following criteria:

i. The overall size of the development site and the scale of the use or uses located or anticipated to be located there (larger land areas and scales of use tend to favor larger signs and/or more signs);

ii. Relationship between the building setback and sign location (additional signage may be appropriate for buildings with less visibility, particularly where buffering is providing an aesthetic and/or environmental beneﬁt to the City);

iii. Length of frontage on a public right-of-way (larger frontages may justify more or larger signs, particularly if the size of the frontage tends to prevent sign clutter from multiple adjacent parcels);

iv. Classiﬁcation of street the development site fronts on (frontage along an arterial or collector street may justify more or larger signs than frontage along a local street);

v. Access and visibility to the site;

vi. Intended traffic circulation pattern and the need for wayﬁnding;

vii. Hierarchy of signage;

viii. Relationship between the site and adjacent uses;

ix. The desired function of the site; and

x. Consistency with the objectives and design policies of the Community Plan and any applicable Community Focus Area plans.

Lighting standards shall not deviate from the standards of this article.

Master Sign Plans for new construction or redevelopment shall be reviewed as part of the development review process as set forth in Section 8.4.A, Development Review.

Master Sign Plans that deviate from the standards of this article, as allowed by this section, by no more than 10 percent may be approved by the Director.

Master Sign Plans that deviate by more than 10 percent require approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission, in accordance with the development review process as set forth in Section 8.4.A, Development Review.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the Director may require any Master Sign Plan to be considered by the Commission at a public hearing on the basis of location, visually related impacts, or in conjunction with other aspects of overall site development or improvements.

Individual sign permits are required for signs installed in compliance with an approved Master Sign Plan that conforms with the provisions of this article.

A Master Sign Plan may be amended in the same manner in which the original Master Sign Plan was approved. Amendments that deviate from the standards of this article by no more than 10 percent, or amendments that are in compliance with the standards of this article, may be approved by the Director.