An amendment that covers the square footage area and the height of wall-mounted signs on retail spaces in the Ga. Highway 54 West Corridor Overlay District in Peachtree City was adopted by the City Council on Nov. 5
It was at the previous meeting that Councilman Eric Imker asked that the council be provided with data on other area retailers and how the amendment might impact those businesses.
The council on Nov. 5 voted unanimously to amend a portion of the Ga. Highway 54 Design Guidelines pertaining to the height of wall signs and the number of businesses that can be listed on monument sign panels.
A carryover from October, the council amended the design guidelines for the Hwy. 54 West Corridor Overlay District requiring that wall signs for anchor tenants be no more than 4 feet in height, the wall signs for primary tenants be no more than 3 feet in height and those for in-line tenants be no more than 2 feet in height.
The maximum square footage for walls signs cannot exceed 150 sq. ft. for anchors, 100 sq. ft. for primary tenants and 50 sq. ft. for in-line tenants.
Senior Planner David Rast noted in the presentation that the sign height approved by the council on Nov. 5 was more restrictive that what had been originally proposed.
A sampling of the height of signs on existing anchor stores with 150 sq. ft of sign space showed PetSmart with a store sign 36 inches in height, Staples at 60 inches and other anchors at 42 to 48 inches. As for existing primary tenants with a now-approved sign height of 36 inches and 100 sq. ft. of sign space, the Books-A-Million sign is 33 inches in height while Gap/Gap Kids has a wall sign 60 inches in height.
Rast noted that, by virtue of being an anchor with only 92 sq. ft. of existing sign space area, PetSmart could could increase that area to 150 sq. ft.
Other existing anchors have sign space ranging from 112-138 sq. ft. and, except for PetSmart, have existing letter heights raning from 40-60 inches.
While the topic first surfaced with The Overlook retail area which is the last remaining developable property in the overlay district which extends from the Ga. Highway 74/54 area to the city limits on the west, the amendment will be enforceable for all retail outlets which may change ownership, and hence require new signage, in the future.
The council also updated the portion of the guidelines pertaining to the number of panels allowed on monument signs situated along roadways. Prior to the amendment a monument sign could contain the panels advertising four businesses on each side. The amendment raised that number to six.
