Board approves Taco Bell sign variance after applicant accepts condition to drop one rear sign

The Planning & Zoning Agency approved a non‑zoning sign variance for a proposed Taco Bell adjacent to County Road 210, allowing two additional wall signs and a 150‑square‑foot pylon sign with conditions negotiated during the hearing.

Sarah Dowling (speaker 2), the project architect with GPD Group, explained the constrained site and argued that the requested signage — including a drive‑through facing element — improves customer wayfinding on a narrow parcel. She described the requested drive‑through sign area as 49.95 sq ft and the rear building element as about 40 sq ft. The board questioned whether the rear south‑facing element was necessary for the customer experience; several members suggested eliminating it to reduce visual impact. The applicant accepted a condition to remove the 40‑square‑foot southern bell element and the board approved the variance 5–2.

The approval was contingent on eight findings of fact and five conditions in the staff report, plus the agreed removal of the 40‑sq‑ft southern wall element. Staff will issue the sign permit after the applicant incorporates the condition into the final plans.