Board approves extended temporary signage for new Sage Avenue apartment complex

The Mobile City Board of Adjustments voted to allow a new apartment development on Sage Avenue to use larger temporary banners and six feather flags for six months to support lease-up.

The applicant said the current 32-square-foot limit is "inadequate for the building scale and size" and asked for extended signage while the property finishes leasing. "Our lease up is 12 to 14 months," the applicant said, adding the project has delivered a clubhouse and five residential buildings and is about three-quarters complete. The applicant told the board occupancy is roughly 13.5% with 20.1% leased.

City staff told the board the standard regulation allows 30 days per banner and up to three permits per year with 30 days between permits, effectively 90 days per calendar year. The applicant argued that the longer lease-up period and the project's setback from the main road justify a temporary exception.

A board member who supported the request said the number of feather flags should be limited to keep signage somewhat uniform but that six months is reasonable for a development of this size. The board moved to approve the variance for six months subject to findings of fact; the motion carried and the variance was approved as requested.

The board did not adopt a new, permanent change to the city sign code; the approval was a site-specific variance tied to this project and its stated lease-up timeframe.

What’s next: The applicant may return to staff or the board if conditions change; the record does not show any additional enforcement or monitoring steps beyond the variance conditions.