Planning Commission approves Vista Church monument sign as minor amendment, keeps lighting limits

The Paradise Valley Planning Commission on Sept. 15 voted unanimously to deem a request from Arizona Commercial Signs on behalf of Vista Church a minor special‑use permit amendment and to approve a new dual‑faced monument sign subject to three stipulations.

Planner Mr. McMahon told commissioners the sign's primary copy area meets the 32‑square‑foot guideline but that the proposed base and planter increase the total monument area to 80.4 square feet. He said lighting would comply with dark‑sky limits (0.09 foot‑candles at the property line) and would be turned off at 10 p.m. except for infrequent special events. "The sign area, the top portion is 32 square feet in size, but the totality of the sign is 80.4 square feet, including the bottom planter sections," McMahon said.

Commissioners discussed precedent—staff cited an 89‑square‑foot sign approved for Paradise Valley Methodist Church in 2016 and a 71‑square‑foot sign approved for Ascension Lutheran Church in 2019—and whether removing the planter base would return the structure to guideline dimensions. Commissioners generally agreed the base softened the appearance and improved aesthetics. No public commenters appeared at the hearing.

The commission approved Recommendation A (deeming the request a minor amendment under Section 1102.7(b) of the zoning ordinance) and Recommendation B (approval with stipulations: compliance with submitted narrative and plans, illumination off at 10 p.m. except for special events, and retention of existing stipulations), by unanimous roll‑call vote. The action will be forwarded to Town Council for any further review required by the minor‑amendment process.

The record includes one resident comment forwarded by a council member and included in the commission packet (Attachment G) raising site‑visibility triangle and size concerns; staff confirmed the comment originated with a resident and was forwarded to staff for the commission packet.