IKEA's new sign in south Denver
Saw this online and thought it might provide some reaction here:
Denver Post story on IKEA's sign
This is being built in a south Denver suburb, Centennial, after another town Lone Tree, rejected IKEA over their sign code.
I'd hate to be the zoning administrator that would have to rule on whether this is in conformance. I can't imagine most communities would find it to be the case.
A likely occurrence is that they requested and got a variance, or found a hole in the code. That is: they wouldn't build that if they didn't check.Originally posted by UrbaneSprawler
I don't know what Centennial's code is, I'll see if I can pull it up. If there was a variance and it didn't meet code it would have been interesting to see what criteria allowed it, something along the lines of community need or economic impact would be funny. Or, how about the sign being of nominal and inconsequential impact when taking into account the mass and color of the building itself?
As has been stated already, the sign, when compared to that monstrous building, isn't really out of scale. I personally think it looks a bit European (I wonder why)
Glad to see some of the metro Denver communities adopting the Pueblo County Sign Code
On the ground, protecting the Cyburbia Shove since 2004.
In the Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins area, most communities (The City of Wheat Ridge being a notable exception) have extremely strict sign codes. High-rise signs are very rare. From what I remember, there's a few non-conforming high-rise signs in the City of Denver, a nonconforming sign for Shepler's Western Wear in the Tech Center area along I-25, a bunch along I-70 in Wheat Ridge where anything still goes, and that's it. Even the Flying J truck stop in Aurora has a 6'/2m tall monument sign.
I think the video is an interesting peek into the mindset of the Denver area; most people are opposed to the sign for being obnoxious, being out-of-place, blocking views, and so on. In Texas, the sign would be nothing out of the ordinary along an Interstate corridor, and I'd expect to see far more people supportive of it.
IMHO, everyone knows Ikea is there. It's a big friggin' blue building in a region where practically every retail building is brick, stone, and integrally colored light earth tone CMU. They don't need a massive sign too. Nobody does.
Growth for growth's sake is the ideology of the cancer cell. -- Edward Abbey
Almost certainly it is in the minutes. The staff there almost certainly would have ensured all the rules were followed, right folks? ;o)
But right from the beginning, the size of the dirt pile, then pilings, then girders, then cladding, then fawning media coverage...no one will be ignorant of its existence. No one.
I just wonder if folks in Kansas can make out the letters or just the colors of the sign? If cell providers could co-locate on the sign, the entire mountain time zone of the U.S. would have coverage.
Nicely done. The concession should have been co-location rather than ornamental grass in a median.
That community IME would grant the variance. Looks like a tornado magnet to me.
Think I found the code section: Zoning Regs, go to page 25. I'm not sure if the sign is on or off-premise but the general rule in all cases is that the sign shall not exceed 6 feet, which I guess in this case was measured from top of typical timberline height.
At the bottom of page 33 are specific provision for retail use and "The freestanding identification sign shall not exceed six feet (6') in height, nor forty-eight (48) square feet per face (maximum of two (2) faces)."
I'm wondering though, maybe this isn't a sign and Centennial considers it a "Billboard" (starts on Page 35). I could see how this section could closer "allow" it as the maximum height is 35' above ground level and it seems to pawns off the review to CDOT and City Building instead of City Planning.
That's hilarious. I only recently made the drive down through Pueblo for the first time and wow, it is (or was?) quite the contrast from the Denver metro area regarding signage (and other things).Glad to see some of the metro Denver communities adopting the Pueblo County Sign Code
Last edited by Gedunker; 25 Mar 2011 at 8:55 AM. Reason: seq. replies
FWIW, the Ikea stores I've seen in the Toronto area don't have such tall signs. Toronto and its suburbs aren't exactly known for strict sign codes.
Growth for growth's sake is the ideology of the cancer cell. -- Edward Abbey
Turns out it is a sign, a 92 foot tall sign. The Director of Community Development had some interesting soundbytes here: 9News Story
So they get 2 square feet of signage for each square foot of building? We have an IKEA around here and I would venture to say it is the biggest sign in the area by maybe 400 or 500 square feet.
A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. -Douglas Adams
One wonders who told Planning to make the exception and to take the heat, and what a psychologist would say about the facial expressions on the poor CDD shoved in front of the camera.
Centennial has the airport and some light manufacturing and decent commercial property taxes, why do they have to bend over and take this? That whole area down there is FUBARed: the interchange with the tollway, the retrofit for the train, cr*ppy flow, sheesh. What a mess. Good thing few look to Colo for good examples of planning (beyond a few res and MU developments).
Sigh.
Considering Centennial is a relatively "new" City though, you wonder what would have happened if it never incorporated and IKEA developed on the same property under (I think) Douglas County. The sign probably would have been bigger and taller.
Arapahoe County. I don't think they would have received a variance, to be honest. Same thing with Douglas County.
Personally, I'm surprised Ikea didn't shoot for cheap, flat land by the airport. Then again, most of that land is in the City of Aurora, and they would have likely taken a pass on the sign. Land in the I-25/Tech Center corridor is very pricey.
Growth for growth's sake is the ideology of the cancer cell. -- Edward Abbey
Looks a lot like Metro Detroit;s Ikea sign
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...12,273.07,,0,0
We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes - Fr Gabriel Richard 1805
IIRC Emeryville CA didn't bend over and take it. And surely they wanted freeway access.
Funny thread. I just drove by that sign this weekend and nearly hit the center median. Can't believe this got approved and built. I need to check out some of the links provided hear to get more information. Pretty ridiculous.
Is the sign really any more or less ridiculous than that building? I mean really
If you want to see ridiculous, drive down to Pueblo and check out those monster signs that exceed the footprint size of the pizza house they advertise for......I'm not saying I like it, because I don't.
On the ground, protecting the Cyburbia Shove since 2004.
I'm too busy looking at the Vestas plant on the rare occasion I go down to those parts.Is the sign really any more or less ridiculous than that building? I mean really
If you want to see ridiculous, drive down to Pueblo and check out those monster signs that exceed the footprint size of the pizza house they advertise for......I'm not saying I like it, because I don't.
Anyone find out if the CPD Director has been treated for ulcers yet, or has a final interview out of state?
The Tampa Ikea doesn't have a sign that big (or least that tall) - in fact, I've not noticed it, yet. Amazingly, everyone knows where the Ikea store is and how to get there.
Ikea must have a pretty low opinion of itself it it feels that the only way to get people in the door is to have a skyscraper sign.
At times like this, you have to ask yourself, "WWJDD?"
(What Would Jimmy Durante Do?)
I'm guessing any sense of compromising professional integrity that he might have will be more than offset knowing that Centennial will be generating sales-tax revenue up the ying-yang and they'll probably be the only town in the area that won't be cutting budgets. I suspect he'll be getting a performance increase/bonus this year.Anyone find out if the CPD Director has been treated for ulcers yet, or has a final interview out of state?
I say that though, not knowing how long it will take to re-coup the costs of all the concessions, which I think were advertised in the $18 million range. Would be interesting to know for instance if Draper, UT has recouped their costs with similar concessions several years ago.
July 27th now for an opening -- and then presumably meanwhile, there's Jake Jabs in the background probably planning his magnum opus in response. The municipality who gets Jake knocking on their door with his next move will probably have some fun.
I saw the sign a couple weeks ago when I was driving to Castle Rock to visit my mother. It is tall and very huge, but hey it isn't in my backyard.
Signed,
Colorado Rogue Planner...
You get all squeezed up inside/Like the days were carved in stone/You get all wired up inside/And it's bad to be alone
You can go out, you can take a ride/And when you get out on your own/You get all smoothed out inside/And it's good to be alone
-Peart
I'm sure the dept was told to approve it and the poor PD was shoved out in front of the cameras to handle the flak the electeds caused; so just for that they deserve to be paid off, to offset the Maalox and dental bills.
That said, I drove by it yesterday and that huge cheap-looking blue thing makes the ugly sign appear to be in scale, if you define "scale" as 'somehow, now an even more ugly area completely devoted to cr--tacular consumerism'. Ugh.
More like promoted to Deputy City Manager. Met him last year on a site visit. Real nice guy and he rather enjoyed that I quoted him word-for-word from the TV interview.Anyone find out if the CPD Director has been treated for ulcers yet, or has a final interview out of state?
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