Ugly Monument Sign
“Wow, I could not believe it! It will not take long to express my disgust at the two sign towers by the new Target, or whatever you might call them. They stare at me from a distance before getting to Morgan Hill on U.S. 101 just before Cochrane Road. Seriously, it just wrecks the whole area’s beautiful scenery which we are known for. Is this really necessary? Everyone have a look at this sign please and see if you don’t agree. This, I thought, was the environment-friendly age. A more fitting design for our surrounding hills and area was not possible? Do we really need business that much to destroy our landscapes and views? I think I could have done a better job designing something.”
RED PHONE
According to Morgan Hill planning manager Jim Rowe, as part of the overall planned-unit development zoning for the Cochrane Commons Shopping Center, the Morgan Hill City Council approved three free-standing signs: one 20-foot-tall sign to be constructed at the corner of Cochrane Road and Mission View Drive within phase two of the development and two freeway signs located near the north end of the site and near Cochrane Road.
The freeway signs were approved at a height of 68 feet for the sign located near the north end of the site, and 50 feet for the sign near Cochrane Road, as measured to the top of a horizontal cornice. Decorative architectural features were allowed to extend above the 68 feet and 50 feet height limits provided the architectural features were consistent with the sign illustrations presented during the public hearings. The city’s standard height restriction for shared-use freeway signs on the east side of the freeway is 55 feet. Given the scale of the project (approximately 66.5 acres) and the intended draw as a subregional commercial shopping center, the City Council approved the taller freeway signs as part of the project zoning.
Also, Red Phone contacted Ana Williams, a spokeswoman for Target Superstores, who said the sign was designed and built by Target’s developer who worked with the city to respect the heights allowed. Before building a new store, Williams said the company invests considerable resources in market research, site studies and land development to ensure a new store and its signage are a good fit for both the community and Target.
ARENA WOES
“First off, I am a longtime Morgan Hill resident and knew of the outdoor arena adjacent the U.S. 101 near East Main Avenue. However, it has not been until this past year or so that events at this facility have gone out of control. On June 24, there were cars parked up and down Condit Road and the side streets (a no parking area I presume and extreme fire danger). The sheriff’s department and Morgan Hill police both were on scene and even closed Condit Road, cutting off passage for those of us who live in this area. Needless to say, we are not happy with what is going on and with the large infusion of people and the problems that they have been recently causing (traffic, crime, trash).
“I think it is perfectly fine for the owners of this arena to hold events. However, they should be limited to only an attendance that they have onsite parking for.
“Red Phone, please find out what permit(s) the owners have to operate this outdoor venue (hours of operation, parking restrictions, days of the year they can operate, etc.). I further assume that there are requirements for the owners to report receipts and pay sales taxes although I suspect this is severely under-reported.”
RED PHONE
The Red Phone is not aware of any crime tied to the crowds that attend events at Rancho Grande, at the corner of West Main Avenue and Condit Road and outside city limits, but the Times did report a story on the huge showing at this arena’s concert in the July 10 issue. Cancellation of other events led to a huge showing at the arena and the sheriff’s department was not pleased by the situation and judging by your call, local residents felt the same way.
Michael Lopez, planning manager for Santa Clara County, said Rancho Grande has a use permit to operate a charro rodeo facility which also comes with architectural and site approval. The permit restricts Rancho Grande’s hours of operation from 12 noon to 7pm and prohibits nightime activities. The business is also only allowed to operate on Saturdays, Sundays and federal legal holidays between May 1 and Oct. 31 of each year until 2022. The maximum number of vehicles for patrons and employees at Rancho Grande can’t exceed 406. The maximum number of persons on the site at any one time including patrons and employees can’t exceed 1,200. The owner is Mary Pena. The Santa Clara County Planning Commission held a hearing on Rancho Grande’s use permit last Thursday and it was slightly modified at the request of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. Caller, if you would like to read the latest staff report on this issue, visit www.sccplanning.org, or www.sccgov.org/site/planning and click on agenda item number four. We’ll keep you posted on this issue with a future news story.
