The City of Battle Creek Planning Commission unanimously approved Aug. 27 a text amendment to Chapter 12.63 of the zoning code to provide flexibility for sign size calculations in the area known as the Motor Mile along Dickman Road.

City staff member Travis said the amendment responds to a recent administrative denial and a subsequent variance granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals for a Kia dealership sign on Dickman. "The proposed language would give the zoning administrator some more flexibility within that area to simply view the area of lettering and basically clear messaging as the area to be calculated," Travis said, describing the change in how square footage might be measured for larger monolith-style signs.

Other changes in the draft include clearer differentiation between gas station awnings and typical canopy signs, separation of portable and roof signs into distinct categories, and separating animated from flashing signs for regulatory clarity. Staff also noted minor editorial fixes to be made before City Commission consideration, including pluralizing instances of the word "sign" and removing an unintended sentence in the canopy/awning subsection; staff said the intended canopy standard will be "10% of the face of the building" for awning-style canopy signs in the commercial district.

Commissioners asked whether similar allowances exist elsewhere in the city; staff pointed to two larger dealer signs in Springfield (1385 West Dickman Road and 1355 West Dickman Road, Honda and Toyota dealerships) as comparators and confirmed the Motor Mile amendment is specific to that corridor. With a motion by Commissioner Gray and support from Commissioner O'Donnell, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the text amendment to the City Commission.

The amendment is a text change to the zoning ordinance; no specific permit was granted at the meeting. Staff said editorial corrections will be made prior to submission to the City Commission.