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Council denies Miami Grill sign variance after debate over LED colors and pole sign
Summary
Bridgeton City Council considered a sign variance for Miami Grill at 12499 Natural Bridge Road (assigned package 19-0347, application 25-0011). After council discussion and public comment from the owner and the sign company, the motion to approve the variance failed 5–3.
At its March 5 meeting, the Bridgeton City Council considered a request to approve a sign variance for Miami Grill, 12499 Natural Bridge Road (assigned package no. 19-0347, application 25-0011). Council discussion focused on the proposed building sign’s color-changing LED background, a pole sign with a stationary logo and a full-color electronic display, the sign’s square-foot overage and whether the overall design met city sign standards.
The business owner, Nasar Fowaka, and a representative from Mason Sign Company described the proposal: the building sign would feature channel letters with colored LED backlighting (the company said the sign can be set to a single static color for long periods and is not intended to cycle continuously); a pole sign would include a stationary top logo with a flame motif and a lower full-color LED display intended to show rotating static messages or images (representatives described a 4–5 second static frame dwell time). The sign company told council the lower display is a 10 mm full-color board capable of showing pictures and static promotional slides; staff and council discussed that the city’s ordinance prohibits continuous video and requires static dwell time between changes.
Council members raised questions about overall compatibility between the building and pole signs, the total square footage and the pole sign height. Staff reported the pole sign would be 20 feet tall, which meets code, but the combined sign faces contained an overage of about 17.5 square feet from what the sign package allows. The mayor reminded council that, because the variance originated from design and review, six affirmative votes would be required to approve it.
Following public comment from the owner and the sign contractor and a motion to approve the variance, the clerk conducted a roll call. The motion to approve the sign variance failed by a vote of 5–3; the mayor announced the variance failed. Council did not adopt the requested sign deviations at this meeting.
The council’s discussion clarified specifics the applicant must follow if they return with a revised request: the building backlighting would need to be set to a static color consistent with city rules, and any use of the lower LED board must comply with the city’s restrictions on motion and video.
