The amendment will add a Monument Sign Overlay District to the UDC to allow businesses to place monument signs within the Main Street Subdistrict of Old Town Keller (OTK) north of Keller Parkway.
“Monument signs are prohibited in the Old Town Keller Zoning District, given the tight configuration and pedestrian-oriented nature of the district, especially south of Keller Parkway,” said Keller Community Development Director Julie Smith. “Some businesses, particularly in the more car-centric area of OTK north of Keller Parkway, have expressed concerns with this particular UDC regulation. City Council responded by directing staff to explore a mechanism to permit monument signs in that area of OTK.”
A monument sign is ground-level sign that can be easily seen be a passing driver. They are typically made from durable materials such as brick and mortar, stone, stainless steel or high-grade plastic, according to Smith.
Council Member Tag Green expressed the need to create a standard with regard to the monument signs that reflects the feel of OTK.
“Since this is Old Town Keller, I would like us to look at some refinement of those requirements to create some consistency with that feel and direction of the vision of Old Town Keller," Green said. "I would like to see us do something more restrictive in that area.”
Smith talked about the eclectic nature of OTK and the need to have the monument signs reflect the council’s overall vision of that district.
“The description of OTK harkens back to the 1950s and '40s, we even have some '30s influence in there, so I think your suggestion is a good suggestion," Smith said in response to Green's comments. "I would encourage the council to think about how you tie this together and develop a vision for this. This is the main north-south corridor, not necessarily in traffic counts, but in terms of people thinking about Keller. The folks that drive through our community are coming mainly through on Main Street, so I think that still has some merit.”
