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ANALYSIS: Consideration of an LDR amendment regarding free-standing signs near I-95 was the result of a request filed by Attorney Bruce Barkett on behalf of Paradise Petroleum, Inc. At the July 18' Board meeting, staff reported that the SR 60 Task Force, Professional Services Advisory Committee (PSAC), Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC), and staff agreed with the petitioner that a change to the LDRs is warranted to create a transition between 50' tall 300 sq. ft. signs near I-95 and 10' tall 50 sq. ft. signs for sites located more than 1,000' from the I-95 ramps. At that meeting, the Board was presented with ordinance options to allow taller and larger free-standing signs on sites located from 1,000' to 2,000' of the 1-95 ramps. The Board agreed that a transition was needed, and determined that the ordinance needs specific landscaping standards to ensure that the sign and sign pole bases for taller free-standing signs (i.e. signs over 10' tall) would be fully or partially screened from view of the adjacent roadway. Staff has prepared two alternative ordinances, each containing the same landscaping standards for screening the sign and sign pole bases of taller signs. The "Option A" ordinance follows staffs July 181 recommendation to establish a single transition "zone" by allowing signs up to 20' tall and 100 sq. ft. in area on sites located between 1,000' and 2,000' from the I-95 ramps. The "Option B" ordinance follows the SR 60 Task Force's July 18'h recommendation to establish two transition "zones" by allowing 20' tall/100 sq. ft. signs in the 1,000' to 1,500' area and 15' tall/75 sq. ft. signs in the 1,500' to 2,000' area. Both proposed ordinances include graphics that would be included in the actual LDR code. In regard to landscaping standards, staff has drafted standards that are contained in each ordinance option and propose the following: Signs over 20' tall (20' to 50' tall, on sites within 1,000' of I-95 ramps) Screen the sign base and sign pole base from view of the adjacent roadway by planting around the base: • 3 Canopy trees • 3 Understory Trees • Continuous Hedge 4' High at Planting Signs over 10' tall and less than 20' tall (from 1,000' to 2,000' of I-95 ramps) Screen the sign base and sign pole base from view of the adjacent roadway by planting around the base: • 3 Understory Trees • Continuous Hedge 3' High at Planting It should be noted that the existing SR 60 and Chapter 926 landscaping regulations require that canopy trees have a planting a minimum height of 12' and minimum spread of 6', and require that understory trees have at planting a minimum height of 5'. Also, it should be noted that 100 sq. ft. of green area with a minimum dimension of 10' is required for each canopy tree, per existing Chapter 926 requirements. The proposed landscape specifications are designed to ensure low to mid-level screening of sign and sign pole bases for signs 10' to 20' tall and to ensure low, mid-level, and higher-level screening of sign pole bases for signs 20' to 50' tall. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners adopt the "Option A" ordinance for free- standing signs near I-95 in the SR 60 corridor. AUGUST 22, 2000 -55- y