Planning commission approves ARCO rebranding and sign plan at 151 Main Street

The Placerville Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a master sign plan amendment to rebrand the existing Shell station at 151 Main Street as ARCO, including monument signs, canopy signage and a rebranded pole sign.

Planning staff presented the continued application, MSP 25-02, describing proposed signage that would replace the station’s Shell branding with ARCO and add a corresponding Propel tenant sign. Staff said the 0.48-acre parcel is zoned Commercial Central Business District and that the resubmitted plan is largely a reface rather than a net increase in signage area.

Carol Kendrick, director of planning and the staff presenter, told the commission the proposal includes two double-sided monument signs near the Main Street entrance (one displaying the ARCO logo and fuel prices and the other displaying the Propel logo and prices) that together total 67.15 square feet; two canopy signs of 17.06 square feet each; an 11.88-square-foot wall sign on the convenience store; and a rebranded pole sign of 86.36 square feet. "The total square footage of the sign area is 199.51," Kendrick said, and staff found the materials, illumination and placement to comply with the city sign ordinance.

Kendrick also told commissioners that the site plan submitted with the application showed nine parking spaces along the rear of the site that fall on vacated Canal Street and therefore outside the applicant’s property. She said the city had asked the applicant to revise the plan to correct the property-line depiction.

Staff recommended approval with conditions that require conformance to the master sign plan specifications, submittal of future tenant signs for additional review, shielding of external lighting, and obtaining required sign permits before installation. Staff also concluded the project qualified for a categorical exemption under CEQA guideline section 15311 and that no historic resources would be altered despite the site being within 300 feet of the Main Street historic district.

Members of the public asked whether the existing pole sign is on private property or city property; staff said the pole sign appears to be within the subject parcel but reiterated the site-plan revision request to clarify boundaries.

Commissioners expressed support for the rebranding and for the updated color and material information in the resubmittal. After discussion, Commissioner Stratton moved to approve MSP 25-02 "based on the findings and conditions in the staff report." The motion was seconded and the commission voted 4-0 to approve the master sign plan amendment. Chair Keeney noted that approvals are subject to appeal to the city council.

The approval concludes the commission’s review of the ARCO master sign plan; permit issuance and any final installation remain subject to the conditions in the staff report and the city’s sign-permit process.