Council approves exterior-illuminated sign at Weston Baptist Church

Council voted unanimously Sept. 15 to approve a variance permitting exterior illumination on an existing nonconforming monument sign at 455 South Cherokee Road, the property of Weston Baptist Church.

City staff recommended denial, citing that approving an exterior‑illuminated sign in an R15 residential district could confer a special privilege to the applicant; planning commission recommended approval. Pastor Craig Hudgens told council the church's existing lit marquee "has been lit for decades" and the proposed change would replace the aging reader board with a solid sign lit from the outside. He said the new lighting would be minimal and directed at the sign: "...the lights we'll be using... they're only two foot from the sign... the sign will capture the light and I would say that the light... will be a lot less than what's there now."

Council accepted the planning commission recommendation and approved the variance by voice vote. Staff noted that the monument sign and the area's downtown‑corridor overlay contain lists of prohibited uses and that exterior illumination in an R15 district had particular scrutiny; council discussion centered on balancing the church's request to modernize its sign with neighborhood character and illumination effects.