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Multiple sign‑setback and size variances reviewed for Apollo Beach developments
Summary
Several sign variances were heard for new residential entries and large commercial monuments in Apollo Beach, including townhome entry signs and monument signs for a Walmart‑anchored development; applicants cited site geometry and FDOT access limits as hardships.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The Land Use Hearing Officer considered multiple sign variance requests affecting townhome developments and a large mixed‑use site in Apollo Beach on March 31.
Two residential entry sign variances were presented for small townhome projects. Michelle Montalbano of Development Services summarized the technical requests: Chelsea Court Community Association asked for a three‑foot side yard setback and a nine‑foot front yard setback for a proposed 8‑foot monument sign (requesting variances from LDC section 7.03); applicant representative Lance Ollie said the property’s geometry leaves no practicable location for the sign and offered photos and plats to illustrate limited common area and narrow frontages.
A nearly identical request was presented for a separate townhome development represented by Zach Davis on behalf of the home builder Ashton Woods. Davis said wetlands and overlapping right‑of‑way/property setbacks restricted placement and that the proposed sign placement was the only feasible option.
Three variances related to monument signage on a Walmart‑anchored development were also heard. Sam Ball of Development Services reviewed two cases involving larger aggregate sign areas and reduced monument setbacks near the intersection of U.S. 41 and Brander Mill Road in Apollo Beach. The applicant’s attorney, Todd Pressman, said the requests were driven by limited access points imposed by FDOT and the need for visibility of fuel‑price signage for motorists on the high‑speed arterial. “The desire and hope and need as people are looking at signage is to provide a minimal visibility for the gas price and gas signage,” Pressman told the hearing.
Pressman said prior variances had approved significant sign area and that the current applications propose additional square footage for the gas‑price portion of the monument and minor reductions in front setbacks. He submitted an architect’s letter and site graphics addressing sightlines and right‑of‑way depth.
No members of the public spoke in opposition during the hearings; staff indicated documentation was complete for the townhome requests and that prior approvals existed for the larger monument signs. The hearing officer closed each of the sign variance public hearings; written decisions will be issued and filed with the clerk within the period specified for land use hearing officer orders.
The sign variance requests cited LDC setback and sign area limits (LDC §7.03 and related sections) and relied on site‑specific constraints — narrow common areas for the townhome signs and restricted access/visibility for the Walmart monument signs — as the practical difficulties supporting variances.
