The Overland Park Planning Commission voted 7-3 on Oct. 13 to deny a sign deviation that would have allowed two wall signs and a larger-than-allowed wall-mounted sign on the new Tomahawk Elementary School building.

Planning staff told the commission the installed signage exceeds the UDO maximum (32 square feet for that facade) and that the combined area of the proposed wall signs was nearly four times the permitted area for a single facade. Staff said a monument sign on Lamar provides public-facing identification already and concluded a reduced wall sign would provide adequate visibility while remaining within code. Staff also noted the signs were already installed when staff became aware and that the applicant had subsequently applied for a deviation.

Mark Nelson, representing the sign contractor, said the sign was installed after construction crews needed wall penetrations and that a permit application followed once staff identified the monument sign. The school system and sign vendor told commissioners they would accept stipulations if the deviation were approved.

Several commissioners said they liked the sign visually but expressed concern about creating a precedent for other elementary schools and the citys permitting process. Commissioner Reitzes and others noted surprise that the sign had been installed before a permit was obtained; Commissioner Hennis and others emphasized conformity among school signage. Commissioner Gregory said taking the sign down would be expensive but acknowledged the sign's scale was larger than typical.

Commissioner Reyes moved to deny DEV-2025-52; a second was recorded. The motion to deny carried 7-3. Commissioners counted the vote on hands; the chair announced the denial and the City Council will not need to act because the Planning Commission denied the deviation.

Why it matters: The decision preserves UDO limits on school signage and signals the commissions reluctance to allow exceptions that could be viewed as inconsistent with other schools or create enforcement concerns.