A planned Thursday hearing on a proposed, massive new highway sign will be postponed, as the developer has asked for more time to draft alternative designs.
The new sign, located just off West Main Street and facing Highway 99, would replace an existing 10 foot by 15 foot pole sign for Days Inn. Developers initially proposed an 85-foot tall, 38-foot wide sign, with 2,638 square-feet of advertising space for a total of nine businesses.
But Planning Commissioners took issue with the proposal when they first considered the sign on March 7, sending developers back to the drawing board to draft a smaller sign. Commissioners asked for two alternatives: One with approximately 1,000 square-feet of advertising space, and one with about 1,200 square-feet of advertising space.
Due to delays in creating those alternative designs, the developer has requested the Planning Commission consider the item during their May 2 meeting, rather than on Thursday as originally scheduled.
The sign would be funded by both the Days Inn and New Urban Communities Partners, developers of an in-progress shopping center at 1300 W. Main St. NUCP would receive advertising space on the sign in exchange for the funding.
Mockups of the sign show Mi Pueblo Food Center and a Family Dollar as prospective tenants, but NUCP vice president Reed Onate said in March that NUCP was still in talks with both businesses and that neither was yet committed to the center.
On Thursday, the Turlock Planning Commission is also expected to:
• Swear in newly appointed Alternate Planning Commissioners Alice Pollard, principal of the Turlock Adult School, and Ashour Badal, the Associate Dean of University Extended Education at California State University Stanislaus. Both were appointed at the March 26 meeting of the Turlock City Council, selected from a roster of 12 applicants for the positions.
• Recognize outgoing Alternate Planning Commissioners Victor Pedroza and Aben Williams, both of whom reached term limits.
• Consider changing the start time for Turlock Planning Commisison meetings from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Hear an annual report on progress made in the implementation of Turlock's General Plan, a document which guides the city's growth. Commissioners will also review a list of public works projects for consistency with the Turlock General Plan.
• Continue work on an update of the City of Turlock's sign ordinance.
• Hear a staff update on Assembly Bill 162, which would prohibit cities from denying requests to modify existing cell phone towers.
The Turlock Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Yosemite Room of Turlock City Hall, 156 S. Broadway.
