ZBA allows Fuller Craft sign closer to Oak Street; board limits setback to two feet from property line

The Brockton Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 to grant Fuller Craft relief to install a small, non-illuminated sign at the organization’s accessible back entrance on Oak Street, approving an 8-foot reduction from the ordinance yard setback so the sign will be placed approximately 2 feet back from the property line.

Paul Tantillo, director of operations at Fuller Craft, told the board the existing property line places the required 10-foot setback deep into a wooded/grass area; if the sign were placed in strict compliance it would be about 22 feet from the street and “difficult to see,” creating a safety concern for drivers and visitors. He said the intent is a modest identifying sign (logo only) for the accessible entrance; the sign is reflective but not internally or externally illuminated.

Board members inspected photos and site stakes provided by the petitioner. One member observed the city’s prior roadway configuration and said that legacy layout likely placed the property line further back, contributing to the petitioner’s hardship. The chair and members discussed sight lines and the risk of sidewalk or street work damaging a sign placed too close to the pavement; the board settled on granting relief that puts the sign two feet behind the property line rather than directly on it.

The board also discussed whether the sign was within 100 feet of residential property and determined the petitioner needed relief from that provision; the petitioner requested that relief as part of the application. The board confirmed the sign would not be LED or internally lit.

In deliberations a member proposed granting 8 feet of relief so the sign would be 2 feet behind the property line; the motion carried with the clerk recording five affirmative votes. The decision included the caveat that the sign is not illuminated and must meet the indicated dimensions discussed at the hearing.