Downtown Signage Districts Land Development Code Amendment

1. Downtown Signage DistrictsLand Development Code Amendment Davon Barbour, DDB Assistant Director

2. Purpose: Facilitate the evolution of the Downtown Orlando as a center of commerce, focus on digital media, and as a unique urban entertainment destination. The proposed amendments allow new electronic and other mediums that are considered appropriate and desirable in the context of an extremely urban environment.

3. Why: Complement other major regional entertainment destinations such as City Walk, Downtown Disney. Create a downtown entertainment district like LA Live!, PowerPlant Baltimore, Kansas City Power & Light. Allow more creative signage and the use of technology.

4. Downtown Signage Districts Downtown Core Midtown Creative Village Uptown

5. Downtown Core. This is the most intense area of downtown, where Orange Avenue narrows from Jefferson Street to the City Commons. Midtown. This area is a business district that contains the courthouse, Lynx Central Station and other commercial uses. Creative Village. The redeveloping Centroplex area, containing a mix of uses (future residential and commercial) and high-technology incubators. Uptown. A business district with a significant  residential population that has changed in character over the last decade to include new office buildings and residential uses.

9. Leverage investment in public cultural venues and private entertainment destinations by locating them within walking distance of each other. Church and Orange is the high-profile intersection for the overall perception of the downtown: our “main & main”. Create the image of an exciting urban vitality and animate the city; modify signage regulations. Reposition Downtown as a regional entertainment destination of choice for surrounding residents, bolstered by the various cultural venues. September 2003

10. Focus Group • Friday, May 6, 2011 • Church Street District • Tremont Realty Capital • Pizutti Companies • RP Realty • TA Associates Realty • Church Street Entertainment • Lowndes, et al. • Ustler Developments • Lincoln Properties • Highwoods Properties • Heat/Gringos • Brick and Fire/Chico’s

11. Focus Group Comments • Having both on- and off-site signs within the Downtown, may create an energy and destination characteristic that is desirable. • Downtown is challenged to create an entertainment destination competing with Downtown Disney and City Walk, which keep tourists “on-property”. • Off-site signage allows the Downtown to create a similar type of energy and destination that these locations allow today.

12. Focus Group Comments • Suggested that kinetic signs be “fully functional” when they operate so that they are not an aesthetic concern (partially burned out section of lights, etc). • Increased the size of televisions allowed to 50 inches. • Suggested including electronic directory signs at the base of monument signs facing away from ROW. • Allow small interactive signs for all commercial businesses.

13. Downtown Signage:Ordinance Overview Dean Grandin, Jr.Planning Director

14. High-Rise Signs When a project has signs over 30-feet above grade, they are considered high-rise signs; this cuts the normal sign allocation (below 30-feet)in half

15. 1. Remove high-rise sign “penalty” • Normal sign allocation is cut in half when a project has high-rise signs; this will be removed in the all districts

16. New Sign “Types” Gobo’s (STATIC projections) Interactive Storefronts Digital on-site (Marquee) Digital screens Kiosks Kinetic Monument Televisions Digital Lighting/Art Major Attraction Identification Sign

17. 2. Allow “gobo” projections • On-site signage or art that is projected onto buildings; doesn’t count towards signage allocation. Dusk until 2 AM. • Where: All Districts.

18. 3. Allow 8 interactive storefronts • Requires 15-foot sidewalk or plaza; cannot take up more than 15% of blockface or 25% of individual storefront. • Additionally, each commercial business up to 3 sq. ft. • Where: Downtown Core, Creative Village, Midtown.

19. 4. Digital On-Site Signage • Part of normal signage allocation; part of a marquee sign, • Follows the City’s operational limitations of digital billboards for glare and changes. • Where: Downtown Core, Creative Village, Midtown.

20. 5. Digital Screens (On & Off-Site) • Allowed on large mixed-use plaza projects (>0.10 acre)with frontage on Church Street or in Creative Village. 400 square feet per building; 1600 inside window.

21. 5. Digital Screens vs. Billboards • Freestanding – typically on poles • Off-Site Messages only • Can be electronic – follow operational limitations (8 sec.) • Located on Freeways and corridors oriented to the auto. • Architecturally integrated • On- and Off-Site Messages • Electronic – allows full video • Located in Downtown Entertainment District & Creative Village.

22. Digital Screens Criteria • Projects with a majority of ground floor retail uses. • 250,000 square foot, mixed use project. • Public/Private Plaza of at least 0.10 acres. • Singular master sign controlled by a common computerized system. • Not be visible from a limited access highway. • Count towards total allowable signage.

23. Districts Eligible for Digital Screens

24. Possible Locations • Where: Downtown Core, Creative Village.

25. Where: Downtown Core, Creative Village.

26. 6. Kiosks • Sidewalk signage placed by City;could be digital and devote time to downtown events. • Where: All Districts

27. 7. Kinetic Signs • Signs with Movement or perception of movement. • Allowed between dusk and 2:00 AM. Must be fully functional. • Where: All Districts

28. 8. Monument Signs • Identifies a project with a plaza (> 0.10 acres). May provide directional or project info. Could include a digital directory. • Where: All Districts

29. 9. Televisions • Allows each business to have one 50-inch TV • oriented to the right of way within 6-ft of window. Sidewalk Cafés allowed one every 50 feet. • Could be either broadcast TV or on-site advertising. • Where: All Districts

30. 10. Digital Lighting/Art • Not a sign. Review by DRC, HPB and Public Art Advisory Committee where appropriate. • Where: All Districts

31. Summary of Sign Types:

32. Legal Considerations • Generally, Local Governments are not allowed to regulate the content of the sign (state laws control obscenities). They can regulate whether the sign advertises on-site or off-site commercial messages; they may also enable directional signs. The City may also control signs in their public right-of-ways. • City Attorney suggests that the Council should consider wholly allowing on-site and off-site messages, and not govern the content of the off-site message (percentage times of either, requiring community interest messages, etc.).

33. Legal Considerations Sign Ordinances are constructed around two considerations; aesthetics and safety. A City may regulate the time, manner and place of each type of message. The Downtown Sign Ordinance allows increased signage rights in an urban context where the aesthetics of such signs are desirable, and safety concerns can be controlled or mitigated.

34. Conclusion Recommend adoption of the ordinance as modified. QUESTIONS?