Beavercreek zoning board denies Patterson Park Church request to enlarge digital sign

The Beavercreek Board of Zoning Appeals on a 3-0 vote denied a request by Patterson Park Church to increase the size of its electronic sign and raise the overall height of a ground sign at 3655 East Patterson Road.

City planning staff presented the case (Variance V25-1) and recommended disapproval. "Based upon our review of the criteria, staff makes recommendation to disapprove the variance request," planner Matt Funk told the board. The church's applicant, Steve Robinson, said the change was needed so motorists traveling at the posted 50 mph limit on Research Boulevard could read the sign from a greater distance: "We want our sign to be readable at those higher speeds and that greater distance," Robinson said.

The nut graf: The variance sought three exceptions to the sign code for a church on property zoned R-1A: (1) to allow more than 50% per side of the ground sign area to be electronic changeable copy, (2) to allow the electronic copy to exceed the code maximum height of 24 inches, and (3) to allow the overall ground sign to exceed the 5-foot height limit. Staff found the application failed key variance criteria and recommended denial; the board…