Planning board rejects oversized Highway 90 sign waiver request

Planning staff reviewed permit 51265 and explained the Highway 90 Corridor overlay (COZ) limits attached signs for a multi-tenant unit of 40 feet frontage to roughly 20 square feet, with a 20% increase applied at 145 feet from Highway 90, capping the allowable area for Suite A at about 24 square feet. The applicant, John Staronsky, representing the landlord and tenant, requested a 108.49-square-foot sign and said the tenant space sits far back from Highway 90 and partly behind a car wash, creating a visibility hardship.

Staronsky said he had surveyed nearby signage and sought consistency with adjacent tenant signs; he told the board approving the waiver "won't show any favoritism" but would allow adequate visibility for the business. Commissioners asked whether adjacent open land could be developed (which could change sight lines), how the COZ applies to lots accessed via a Highway 90 drive, and whether the proposed drive limits applicability to the overlay. After a brief public-hearing window with no outside speakers, the motion to consider the permit failed on a split vote.

The board recorded the numerical comparisons between the overlay limit and the requested area (allowed ~24 sq ft vs requested 108.49 sq ft) and voted against the waiver; applicants may revisit design options consistent with the COZ or seek other permitted solutions.