Macomb ZBA approves two sign exceptions for Jack’s Car Wash with monument-sign condition

Aaron Tuckfield, chairman of the Macomb Township Zoning Board of Appeals, opened and presided over the board’s April meeting and led the panel through deliberations on a sign-exception request from Jack’s Car Wash for a property on Romeo Plank Road.

The board voted to permit two building-mounted signs of up to 50 square feet each — one on the south elevation and one on the west elevation — subject to a condition that the exceptions be voided if a monument sign is later installed on the property. If a monument sign is subsequently placed, the wall-sign sizes would revert to the ordinance standard (4 square feet for side/rear signs or the otherwise applicable limit).

The request before the board sought two separate sign exceptions: a south-facing wall sign of 50 square feet where 20.1 square feet is allowed, and a west-facing wall sign of 50 square feet where 4 square feet is allowed under the sign code. Planning staff summarized departmental reviews and said building, fire, engineering and public works had no objections. Staff did not object to the exceptions but asked for additional applicant justification on whether 50 square feet represented the minimum necessary for the west-facing sign.

Haitham Situ, an engineer at Situ Industries representing Jack’s Car Wash, told the board the design choice reflected the building’s large walls and the company’s desire for proportional, visible branding. “On the west elevation…even at 50 I think [that] is too small because if you look at the proportion,” Situ said, adding he and the applicant were willing to accept the 50-square-foot figure if the board found it reasonable.

Board members debated whether the requested sizes met the ordinance standards for site features, visibility, scale, minimal impact and intent. Several members noted the site's orientation and the nearby plaza and gas station affect which walls would serve as secondary fronts and how motorists would see signage. Planning staff noted a previously approved monument sign dimension for the site — described in the discussion as 60 inches by 96 inches (5 by 8 feet), roughly 48 square feet, with a 72-inch overall height — and the board used that figure when weighing whether to allow the wall signs in lieu of a monument sign.

The board handled the south- and west-facing sign requests as separate motions. The south-facing sign exception was approved unanimously. A later vote on the west-facing exception first failed to reach final agreement but, after additional motions, passed 3–2. The final approvals for both elevations included the same condition: the wall-sign exceptions would be in effect only so long as a monument sign was not installed; if a monument sign is erected, wall signs must revert to the ordinance maximum.

Votes at a glance

- South-elevation wall sign exception (up to 50 sq ft where 20.1 sq ft allowed): Motion to approve with condition that the monument sign not be installed; roll-call result recorded as unanimous approval by present members.

- West-elevation wall sign exception (up to 50 sq ft where 4 sq ft allowed): Motion to approve with the same monument-sign condition; final roll-call recorded as 3 in favor, 2 opposed.

The board referenced the municipality’s sign regulation ordinance during deliberations but did not cite a specific ordinance number in the record. No members of the public spoke on the application at the meeting. The applicant indicated willingness to provide further justification if requested and to forego adding monetary elements to the sign face originally proposed for another elevation.

The board closed the agenda item and moved on; no additional land-use actions were taken at that meeting.

Ending: The ZBA adjourned shortly after the sign-exception votes. The applicant left following the approvals and thanked the board for its time.