Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Commercial Sign Variance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
BZA grants Ash Market 20-foot freestanding sign variance in B-1 zone
Summary
The Fluvanna County Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance allowing a 20-foot freestanding sign for Ash Market (tax map 51-A-103) in a B-1 zone, after the applicant and a public commenter cited ground-clearance and visibility concerns.
The Fluvanna County Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance to allow a 20-foot freestanding sign for Ash Market, a business located on tax map 51-A-103 in the county's B-1 general commercial zone.
Staff told the board that freestanding business signs in the B-1 zone are limited to a maximum height of 10 feet under section 22-15-3 of the Fluvanna County Code. The applicant sought a variance after replacing a deteriorated sign pole and footing; the new sign would restore ground clearance to reduce the risk of trucks striking the sign.
David Slade, representing Interstate Sign, said the requested height increase is "to gain the, the ground clearance. The concern is in the ground clearance, not the overall height." He told members the new pole and footing were replaced because the prior pole was in poor condition and the sign sat close to the driveway entrance, creating a risk of truck contact.
A member of the public, Taddy Raynert of 3531 Union North Road, spoke in favor of allowing taller signs and questioned the ordinance's limits on business signage. "I don't know why you even have ordinances on these signs to begin with," Raynert said. He added that taller signs improve visibility for businesses and compared local sign restrictions to other prominent local signs.
Staff displayed before-and-after renderings included in the meeting packet and said the new sign's overall height remained about 4 feet lower than the original structure but required higher mounting to regain clearance from vehicle movements at the entrance.
After opening the public hearing, receiving a supporting comment and taking no opposing public comments, a board member moved to approve the variance to permit a 20-foot freestanding sign in the B-1 zone for the parcel identified as tax map 51-A-103. The motion was seconded and the board voted in favor.
At the meeting staff also noted the county's practice of transmitting variance applications to the planning commission for review; the planning commission had recently taken no action on one case and provided a recommendation on another per section 22-18-4(a) of the county code. Staff said the sign ordinance had last been amended in February 2015 and suggested the board and staff should review current sign-warrant practices.
The approval allows Ash Market to proceed with the larger sign subject to any required permitting and inspection steps by county staff.
