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Plan Commission denies request to replace monument sign with 35-foot pylon at Chili’s site
Summary
The Plan Commission voted 5-2 Dec. 3 to deny a Specific Implementation Plan amendment that would have replaced a 10-foot monument sign at 1290 South Kohler Street with a 35-foot pylon sign and reduced the required 25-foot front setback.
The Oshkosh Plan Commission on Dec. 3 denied a request to amend a previously approved specific implementation plan for 1290 South Kohler Street that would have replaced a 10-foot monument sign at the Chili’s restaurant with a 35-foot pylon sign located roughly 15.25 feet from the front property line.
Staff recommended denial, saying the current zoning ordinance (adopted in 2017) requires a 25-foot front setback for new pylon signs and staff was not aware of a unique hardship that would justify a reduced setback. Staff noted several older, legal nonconforming pylon signs exist in the area but those predate the 2017 ordinance.
David Michael of Site Enhancement Services, representing the applicant, said the company planned to reuse the existing 99-square-foot cabinet and foundation and that placing the sign at the required setback would either block visibility or force placement into a landscape island that would push the sign 35 to 40 feet back from the property line. He said the applicant would accept landscaping conditions if approved.
Commission discussion noted the site has constrained locations for a pylon sign but several commissioners said reconfiguration of the site or placement within islands could meet code, and some members expressed concern specifically about the proposed 35-foot height even if placement was acceptable. Commissioner Propp called the area a “forest of signs” and supported staff’s position.
The motion to deny the SIP amendment carried on a roll call vote 5-2 (Miss Propp, Council member Nichols, Mister Bellville, Miss Davey, Mister Lowenstein voted yes to deny; Miss Sherman and Chairman Perry voted no). The denial means the applicant must either meet the 25-foot setback requirement or revise the proposal.
