Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Signage Billboard 5539 W State topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
BZA approves digital billboard at 5539 W. State Street but limits size and height; floodplain review required
Summary
The board allowed a reconfigured, modern billboard on West State Street to be replaced with a mixed digital/static V‑shaped sign but denied expansion of overall display area and limited the sign height to 55 feet, and recommended additional floodplain and lighting conditions.
The Board of Zoning Appeals voted Oct. 9 to allow a replacement of an existing off‑premise billboard at 5539 West State Street with a modern V‑shaped sign that will be digital on one face and static on the other, but declined a requested expansion of the overall display area. The board also approved a reduced height of 55 feet — up from the current 53 feet but well below the full 81‑foot request — and attached conditions focused on lighting, operating frequency and an important floodplain review.
City staff said they did not oppose the special use to permit electronic messaging at the location but recommended denial of the requested height variance. During public comment, the alderman and several departments urged caution while noting no significant constituent complaints during outreach. The Department of Neighborhood Services raised a separate issue: the sign area sits in a mapped floodplain and the applicant must confirm the structure’s compliance with both city and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources floodplain rules before construction.
Board members discussed pedestrian and bicyclist safety on the nearby bridge, the addition of a new north‑facing sign face that would increase signage exposure to residential areas, and possible mitigation measures including conforming display cycle timing and modern LED arrays with narrow spill cones. The board approved the 55‑foot height variance, voted to deny the expanded display area so the applicant may proceed with a single face if desired, and approved the special use to permit an electronic face subject to staff conditions that include floodplain engineering review and limits on animation/refresh rate.
The decision combines caution about intensifying signage exposure to residential areas with allowance for a modernized sign that the applicant said would bring safer, more energy‑efficient technology.
Votes at a glance: dimensional variance for 55 feet — approved; variance to exceed display area — denied; special use to permit electronic message sign — approved with conditions.
