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ZBA allows fourth wall sign for dealership at 140 Daniel Webster Highway to improve visibility
Summary
The Zoning Board of Adjustment approved a variance allowing McThompson Realty/Harvey Signs to install a fourth wall sign to add the Genesis emblem at 140 Daniel Webster Highway, citing the site's unusual orientation, setback and wayfinding needs; total wall-sign area remains under the code cap.
The Zoning Board of Adjustment approved a variance Sept. 9 allowing McThompson Realty, through applicant Harvey Signs, to install a fourth wall sign at 140 Daniel Webster Highway so the dealership can display the Genesis emblem in addition to existing Hyundai branding. The board cited the building’s angle, setback and visibility constraints along Daniel Webster Highway as justification for the extra sign.
The applicant, Michael Harvey of Harvey Signs, told the board the building sits at a 60-degree angle to Daniel Webster Highway and is set back nearly 200 feet, with a heavy treeline that reduces brand visibility. "This makes brand exposure difficult for a car dealership with multiple brands," he said, and argued the fourth emblem is necessary for safe customer egress and wayfinding to the single entrance on Rockmey Drive. Harvey noted the proposed signs would total 124.8 square feet, below the 150-square-foot aggregate allowed by the code.
The request sought a variance from Land Use Code section 190-108(c)(2) to exceed the maximum number of wall signs (three allowed; four proposed). Board members said the site’s unusual orientation and setback made the additional emblem reasonable. "That building is in a really strange orientation and a difficult location," one member said, noting visibility problems from the highway; another observed the proposal keeps the total permitted signage area below the limit and is consistent with automotive branding requirements.
No members of the public spoke in opposition at the hearing. The board approved the area variance; the applicant was reminded of the 30-day appeal period during which the decision may be challenged.
