Town Plaza Monument Sign Licensing Program
City of Culver City
9770 Culver Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90232-0507
2 Town Plaza Monument Sign Licensing Program
I. Introduction
In the 1990’s, the former Culver City Redevelopment Agency initiated a major revitalization of Downtown Culver City to include widening of sidewalks, installation of canopy trees and planters, business attraction programs, and the construction of a movie t heater and “Town Plaza.” In 2018, The Culver Steps ( The Steps) development was completed which featured a new office building, retail/restaurant spaces and expanded Town Plaza area at the intersection of Culver and Washington Boulevards. While the design of The Steps creates an off-sidewalk space for the public to gather, signage visibility for businesses , not situated on Culver or Washington Boulevards , is inhibited. To this end, t he City Council approved the installation of two monument signs to improve the visibility of retail and restaurant businesses located on the ground floor of Town Plaza , and a related Town Plaza Monument Sign Licensing Program (“Program”) as set forth herein.
II. Applicability
This Program governs the leasing of sign panels displaying a business name (“Business Panel”) on City-owned monument signs in Town Plaza.
III. Eligibility
Five properties currently lack visibility from Culver and Washington Boulevards.
The five properties are located at 9426 and 9432 Washington Boulevard, 9300 and 9500 Culver Boulevard, and 3912 and 3918 Van Buren Place (collectively, “Eligible Properties”). A map of Eligible Properties is illustrated in Attachment 1.
The owners of the Eligible Properties, or the businesses located on the Eligible Properties (with the owners’ consent), are eligible to license a Business Panel on one or both the monument signs, space permitting.
No office, medical, educational, political, religious, or other institution will obtain a Business Panel. Businesses selling merchandise to fund-raise or as an ancillary use are not eligible to obtain a Business Panel. Businesses that sell products, goods, and services related to adult themes, smoking, firearms, alcohol (as the primary use), or cannabis are not eligible to obtain a Business Panel.
IV. Annual Maintenance Fees
A Business Panel consists of one 3’-5 ¾” x 11 ½” panel located on a monument sign at either the intersection of Main Street and Culver Boulevard or Ince and Washington Boulevards (Attachment 2). There are six to eight Business Panels on
3 each monument sign. Business and/or property owners are responsible for the one-time fabrication cost of the Business Panel, which will vary depending on the quote from the City’s fabricator.
Additionally, an annual maintenance fee of $500, per sign, will be required to fund ongoing maintenance. The maintenance fee will cover routine maintenance (i.e., lighting replacement and landscaping) and non-routine maintenance (i.e., limited damage) to the sign and potential replacement (in the sole discretion of the City).
The annual maintenance fee is due upon the first anniversary of the license agreement’s execution and subject to annual CPI adjustments. In the event the annual maintenance costs exceed the amount paid, the City Council may increase the Annual Maintenance Fees.
V. License Application and Procedures
Property owners and businesses must apply to be granted a license for a Business Panel. The license is renewable on an annual basis via the execution of a license agreement (Attachment 3). Fees for the fabrication of the Business Panel, and annual maintenance fee are due at application submission. Businesses may apply to license a Business Panel on both signs, space permitting (See Availability Provisions in Section X). If approved, businesses would be required to pay for the fabrication of two Business Panels, and the maintenance fee would be $1,000 per year.
VI. Terms
Terms of this Program are as follows:
1. Two Monument signs will be installed in Town Plaza with six to eight Business Panels per sign.
2. Applicant will execute a license agreement with the City . The license agreement renews annually and requires the applicant to be the owner of or have a current lease in an Eligible Property. Tenant applicants must demonstrate owner consent to apply for a Business Panel license.
3. Applicant will pay a one -time fee to cover the cost of fabrication per Business Panel. Applicant is responsible for any replacement costs for lost or damaged Business Panels.
4. Applicant will coordinate the Business Panel fabrication with the City’s selected fabricator pursuant to size and color specifications as approved by the City and as noted in Attachment 2.
5. Applicant will pay an annual maintenance fee of $500 , subject to CPI adjustments, to fund ongoing maintenan ce and repairs. This fee is required per business, not per Business Panel.
6. One Business Panel per sign is permitted per eligible business.
7. The Business Panels shall comply with the sign specifications and parameters (Attachment 2).
8. The City reserves the right to remove the monument signs and/or terminate the
4 Program at any time in its sole discretion. Upon termination, licensees shall be entitled to a refund of the pro-rated amount of the annual maintenance fee for any remaining months left in the license term.
VII. Message Limitations
1. City shall retain control over the nature of Business Panels accepted for posting on the monument signs and maintain its monument signs as a nonpublic forum with viewpoint neutral subject matter restrictions.
2. Only eligible businesses, as noted in Section III herein may participate in the Program and receive a Business Panel.
3. The content of the Business Panel must be approved by the City prior to posting and must adhere to the sign design specifications. The Business Panel will only include the name of the licensee’s business. No other content is permitted, and the Business Panel shall not include offensive material, symbols, or images as determined by the City.
4. The Business Panel shall not include animation, flashes, or changeable copy.
A Business Panel may be updated if the licensee’s business name or location changes, provided the location is still eligible to be featured on th e monument sign.
5. Any Business P anel that is in violation of this Program may be removed immediately by the City. Licensee may appeal removal to the City Manager in writing within five business days of removal. The City Manager shall decide within 15 business days of receipt of the appeal request and shall provide a response in writing. The City Manager’s decision is final.
VIII. Disclaimer
Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise, does not constitute or imply an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the City of Culver City. The views and opinions of the authors of documents published on the City of Culver City’s monument signs at Town Plaza do not necessarily state or reflect the opinion of the City of Culver City and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
IX. Termination
Use of the Business Panels shall coincide with the corresponding business’ tenancy. The Business Panel shall be removed when the corresponding business’ lease expires or the business ceases operation. The Business Panel and license agreement with the City are non-transferable. The annual maintenance fee is non- refundable unless City terminates the Program (see Section VI.7).
5 X. Availability
Business Panels and their location on the monument sign shall be available on a first come, first serve d basis. In the event more applications are received than Business P anels exist, a lottery system may be used to determine which business/property owner will receive a Business P anel. Following t he initial application period and full occupation of all Business Panels, a wait list will be established by the City in order to accommodate future users.
XI. Attachments:
1. Map of Eligible Properties
2. Monument Sign Design Specifications
3. Sample License Agreement. (Please note that sample license agreement will be added to the Program document prior to finalizing and issuing to the eligible businesses.)
6 Attachment 1
Map of Eligible Properties
Attachment 1
Town Plaza Monument Signs Eligible Addresses
1. 9426 and 9432 Washington Blvd
2. 9500 Culver Blvd
3. 3912 and 3918 Van Buren Place
4. 9300 Culver Blvd (eligible suites only)
4 7
Attachment 2
Monument Sign Design Specifications
PLAZA MONUMENT SIGNAGE
CONCEPT REVIEW
08 23 23
REV . 03 19 24
2 PLAZA MONUMENT SIGNAGE | PART & PARCEL | 08 23 23 REV . 03 19 24
MEETING GOALS
Review sign objectives and concepts
Come away with support for proposed solution
+ feedback for continued refinement
3 PLAZA MONUMENT SIGNAGE | PART & PARCEL | 08 23 23 REV . 03 19 24
SPECIFIC ISSUE
PROPOSED SOLUTION
Multiple businesses in the plaza lack street-facing
business identification signage
Two monument signs identifying plaza businesses,
strategically located for optimal visiblity
4 PLAZA MONUMENT SIGNAGE | PART & PARCEL | 08 23 23 REV . 03 19 24 • Take inspiration from the modern and
sophisticated design elements in the new
plaza architecture, including the Culver Steps
parking entrance
Forms
Materiality
Scale
Layers
Dimensionality
• Give equal billing to all plaza businesses –
Culver Steps and non-Culver Steps
• Avoid the apperance of being a Culver Steps
directory
• Reinforce visually that the listed businesses
are located close by, in the plaza
• Maintain a scale+visual volume that is
appropriate for both the neighborhood and
downtown Culver City, rather than a shopping
center gateway
• Avoid unnecessary intrusion into plaza site
lines (nothing monolithic)
• Enable ease of changability as businesses
come and go
• Position both signs optimally, taking
into consideration the site-specific
vehicular+pedestrian constraints posed
by each location (ie. safety, sidewalk,
letter height, etc.)
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
5 PLAZA MONUMENT SIGNAGE | PART & PARCEL | 08 23 23 REV . 03 19 24 □
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L2.01C
STREETSCAPE - PAVING
PLAN
ISLAND INCE AND WASHINGTON
PLAZA AT MAIN/CULVER
LOCATION PLAN CULVER BLVD
WASHINGTON BLVD
6 PLAZA MONUMENT SIGNAGE | PART & PARCEL | 08 23 23 REV . 03 19 24
MATERIALS & FORM
WHITE ACRYLIC LETTERING AND FIN EDGE METAL PANELS FORMED CONCRETE WOOD SLATS
ISLAND INCE AND
WASHINGTON
PLAZA AT
MAIN/CULVER
7 PLAZA MONUMENT SIGNAGE | PART & PARCEL | 08 23 23 REV . 03 19 24
IN AND AROUND THE PLAZA
ISLAND INCE AND WASHINGTON
9 PLAZA MONUMENT SIGNAGE | PART & PARCEL | 08 23 23 REV . 03 19 24
IN AND AROUND THE PLAZA
4 Location Elevation
1/4" = 1'-0"
A Tenant Panel Detail
3/4" = 1'-0"
2 Side Elevation
1/2" = 1'-0"
2'-8 3/4"
MAX WIDTH
6 1/2"
11 1/2"
3'-5 3/4"
MAX
HEIGHT
IN AND AROUND THE PLAZA
6 1/4"
1'-0"8'-2 1/2"
8'-0"
6'-2"
4'-9"
1 Elevation
1/2" = 1'-0"
3 Elevation - Back
1/2" = 1'-0"
A
Wood Backer Panel
1/4” THK Wood Face to match existing wood
at project. Mounted inside of Aluminum
Frame using concealed fasteners. Typical
vfor
Applied Letters
Flat-Cut Aluminum letters with canted back to match
profile of Concrete Base. Letter to be painted on all sides and attach to concrete with threaded-inserts and silicone adhesive to prevent vandalism.
Recessed Edge, “Fin” detail
Concrete Base
Cast Concrete base with canted face to replicate forms at property. Concrete base to have internal structure and
footing as required. Base to have vertical supports that connect to Aluminum Frame
Fabricated Aluminum Frame w/ Recessed Wood Backer
Panel and Internally Illuminated Individual Tenant Panels, Mounted to Concrete Base in Existing Island.
Aluminum Frame
Painted on all sides with Recessed Edge “fin” detail to
match existing signage.
Tenant Panels
1” THK fabricated aluminum panel, painted on all sides, with flush push-through tenant name and internal LED
illumination as required. Panel to attach to Aluminum
Frame using concealed fasteners and power connection,
to allow for individual tenant name changes.
Wood Backer Panel
1/4” THK Wood Face to match existing wood at project,
with routed pattern design. Mounted inside of Aluminum
Frame using concealed fasteners. Typical for both sides.
Space for two additional tenant panels
IS LAN D INCE AND WASHINGTON
10 PLAZA MONUMENT SIGNAGE | PART & PARCEL | 08 23 23 REV . 03 19 24
PLAZA MAIN AND CULVER
11 PLAZA MONUMENT SIGNAGE | PART & PARCEL | 08 23 23 REV . 03 19 24
IN THE PLAZA
1 Elevation
1/2" = 1'-0"
3 Elevation - Back
1/2" = 1'-0"
4 Location Elevation
1/4" = 1'-0"
2 Side Elevation
1/2" = 1'-0"
IN AND AROUND THE PLAZA
IN AND AROUND THE PLAZA
A Tenant Panel Detail
1" = 1'-0"
MAX WIDTH
MAX
HEIGHT
5"
8 1/2"
4'-0"
5'-10"
6'-5"
A
8 3/8"
4 3/4"
2'-0"
2'-6 1/2"
Fabricated Aluminum Frame w/ recessed wood backer
panel and internally illuminated individual tenant panels, mounted to concrete base in existing planter.
Aluminum Frame
Painted on all sides with Recessed Edge “fin” detail to
match existing signage.
Tenant Panels
3/4” THK fabricated aluminum panel, painted on all sides, with flush push-through tenant name and internal LED
illumination as required. Panel to attach to Aluminum
Frame using concealed fasteners and power connection,
to allow for individual tenant name changes.
Wood Backer Panel
1/4” THK Wood Face to match existing wood at project,
with routed pattern design. Mounted inside of Aluminum
Frame using concealed fasteners. Typical for both sides.
Space for two additional tenant panels
Concrete Base
Cast Concrete base with canted face to replicate forms at property. Concrete base to have internal structure and
footing as required. Base to have vertical supports that connect to Aluminum Frame
Dimensional Letters
Flat-Cut Aluminum Letters, Painted on all sides, applied to Aluminum cabinet using threaded rods and silicone
adhesive as required to prevent vandalism.
Foliage/landscaping to cover the back of the sign.
Conduit will be installed for future potential use
as an electronic/programmable screen.
Fabricated Aluminum Frame w/ Recessed Wood Backer
Panel and Internally Illuminated Individual Tenant Panels, Mounted to Concrete Base in Existing Island.
Aluminum Frame
Painted on all sides with Recessed Edge “fin” detail to
match existing signage.
Tenant Panels
1” THK fabricated aluminum panel, painted on all sides, with flush push-through tenant name and internal LED
illumination as required. Panel to attach to Aluminum
Frame using concealed fasteners and power connection,
to allow for individual tenant name changes.
Wood Backer Panel
1/4” THK Wood Face to match existing wood at project,
with routed pattern design. Mounted inside of Aluminum
Frame using concealed fasteners. Typical for both sides.
Space for two additional tenant panels
PLAZA MAIN AND CULVER
8 Attachment 3
Sample License Agreement
This document will be added to the Program document prior to finalizing and issuing to the eligible businesses.