07/22/2009 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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be removed during construction. As the area will become a main gateway into the mall, improved landscaping should be added to the area. Westfield submitted a master sign plan for the mall which shows all signs on the property, including those of other property owners such as Sears, Macy's, etc. A number of sign variances are required for total signage, number of signs, height of signs, and signs mounted on the roof. The Commission should make recommendations to the Board of Zoning Appeals on the variances required. Mr. Mitchell said the reconfiguration will result in less square footage therefore parking should not require variances. The pedestrian walkways shown on the north side should be detailed to show widths and impact on the parking field. If the walking path is illuminated the plans need to show the lighting details. The south loading dock shows changes which appear to meet code. There are a number of variances required for the sign package which he has broken out by new tenant space. Retail A requires variances for 2 additional wall signs, height of wall signs, size of wall signs and total square footage on a unit. Westfield signs require variances for number of wall signs, size of wall signs, height of wall signs, total square footage of signage and a variance for mounting signs above the roofline. Retail B and C need to be clarified to determine what variances may be required. Mr. Collins said the plans submitted do not provide much civil engineering site work and noted that if there is any curbing to be replaced the newly installed material is required to be concrete. He asked if there would be any work in the parking lot and said the parking fields should be addressed from a maintenance standpoint. Mr. O'Malley said the commission was open to reviewing the entire site. He reviewed the Commission's role in making recommendations to the Board of Zoning Appeals on variances. Mr. Vlaeminck said Westfield is excited about the new improvement to Westfield Great Northern. It is imperative to their business to keep the buildings fresh and viable. The proposed changes are an injection of new life and energy for the mall. There was discussion whether review of the entire site constituted properties outside of Westfield's control. Mr. Reddick said the mall continuously works on ways to improve the aesthetics of the property. During economic difficulties it is imperative that the mall make sure it's the best it can be to sustain its competitiveness and attract retailers. Mr. Vlaeminck said moving the food court creates the opportunity for a large scale retail store in its place to best utilize the space. Retailer A will have a 45,000 square foot area with a smaller retailer using 8,400 square feet staying within the bounds of the existing building footprint. There will be no parking impact to the south side of the mall. The bollards will be stainless steel which is consistent with the stainless steel used on Retail A as well as the framing and glazing of Retail B. The former Wild Mango space is planned to become a single tenant with a patio. If not leased to a single tenant, it would become part of the food court space and the patio would be used by all food court users. They propose to relocate the pedestrian area shown on the north side to the east of Dick's for safety reasons and the location of existing bike racks. Mr. Platt reviewed the design changes to the building. The modern design of the new entrance allows the center to be viewed in a new way, which lends itself to providing tenant branding recognition even without signs. The loading dock far Retail A will be reconfigured, and two metal roll up doors next to the loading dock will provide an install area for customers. At the 2