The Brentwood Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Sept. 10 to recommend that the Board of Aldermen approve a revised comprehensive sign plan for Good Clean Dog at 1234 Hanley Industrial Court with several conditions, including removal of a mural slogan and limits on illuminated fixtures. Commissioner Sherry Bilderback moved the recommendation; the motion was seconded and carried on a roll-call vote. The commission will forward the recommendation to the Board of Aldermen for final action at its Oct. 6 meeting.

The proposal, presented by an applicant for Good Clean Dog and summarized in a staff report by planning staff Whitney Kelly, sought multiple signs and a large painted mural on the building’s north elevation. Kelly told the commission the property has an existing comprehensive sign plan approved in June 2024 and that the prior plan prohibits signage on the north and south elevations. Kelly said, "illuminated signs under section 410.125 ... prohibits exposed reflective type bulb or incandescent light" and recommended eliminating exposed LED bulbs on the project to comply with code.

Why it matters: commissioners said the plan raises precedent and aesthetic issues for Hanley Industrial Court, a corridor the commission has discussed in the context of long-term change. Some commissioners favored allowing visible branding to help a small business succeed; others said large murals and faux-neon-style lighting could set an unwanted precedent for the area.

The record shows the applicant provided a revised mural option that reduced the mural from about 360 square feet to about 304 square feet and other signs that remain on the rear elevation. Kelly identified rear-elevation signs as about 25 square feet (a pull-up sign), 64 square feet (a Rosie mural), and 24 square feet (drop-off/pickup signage). The staff report also noted a front-entry sign band that tenants may use and questioned splitting storefront lettering across two bays, which would conflict with the existing comprehensive plan.

Commissioner Carl Carlin said visibility concerns justified additional signage for a drive-through and that many LED products use covered strips rather than exposed bulbs. "They're not exposed bulbs. Right? And they're not neon," Carlin said, arguing such products can meet the intent of the sign code. Commissioner Matt Foreman and others urged painting the entire north facade to improve the building's appearance; Foreman said the smaller bubble graphic could be a compromise and that the north face currently looks "pretty rough" in aerial imagery.

Commissioner Sherry Bilderback said she opposed large painted murals and faux-neon mimics on policy grounds, noting the commission must weigh both the applicant’s visibility needs and longer-term precedent. "Once somebody does it, everybody's gonna wanna do it," she said, citing concerns about the impact on future development and the spirit of Brentwood’s sign code.

After discussion the commission approved a recommendation to the Board of Aldermen that: the north elevation not display the wording "Spread joy like dog hair"; the north wall be painted a neutral color consistent with the building's south side; storefront lettering be limited to a single bay over the main entrance (rather than split across two bays); and the drive-through canopy sign be allowed consistent with staff guidance. Commissioners also indicated the faux-neon LED mimicry and any exposed-bulb fixtures should not be permitted in the form presented; the motion intentionally excluded approval of faux-neon/exposed-bulb lighting and directed consistency with Section 410.125 of the sign code.

The motion passed unanimously in roll call, with Commissioners Mark Fivaza, Jeff Moore, Lisa Sherring, Sherry Bilderback, John Ritter, Matt Foreman and Carl Carlin recorded as voting yes. The commission’s recommendation will be placed on the Board of Aldermen agenda for Oct. 6, when the aldermen will make the final decision. The applicant said the design intent also included community-facing aesthetics: "it was absolutely also our intention to make the area more beautiful and to inspire happiness," the applicant told the commission.

The commission noted the comprehensive sign plan review allows it to consider exceptions to the municipal sign code but that any formal change to code language would require future review. Staff and commissioners also suggested clarifying the sign code language in coming months to address new lighting materials and products.