The City of Wildwood Board of Adjustment on July 17 approved a variance to allow replacement of a nonconforming monument sign at the Village Plaza commercial center, contingent on a staff review to resolve several site inconsistencies.

The board authorized a 0-foot setback from Village Plaza View Drive and West Glen Farms Drive in lieu of the code-required 20 and 40 feet, respectively, and allowed a sign outline area of 48 square feet where the code limit is 30 square feet. The centers existing freestanding sign, in place for at least 30 years, is legal nonconforming; the proposed replacement would be in the same location and the same overall size.

Robert Guy Stevens, the contractor on the project, said the replacement aims to modernize an older green sign and make tenant businesses more visible to traffic on the adjacent streets. "A lot of our goals here are to... get them to know that there is a Mexican restaurant, a dog wash," Stevens said, and said the applicant plans to reduce the shrubbery so lower tenant panels are visible.

Planning staff, including Director Joe Vunich and Planner Robin Keefe, recommended approval with two conditions: landscape plantings around the base of the new monument sign and a staff review of other center irregularities before the sign is released. The department said it had received comments from the ward council representatives identifying inconsistencies between site conditions and city authorizations.

During discussion board members and staff clarified the implementation: staff will review tenant wall signs, parking-lot lighting, and vegetation removal and seek to resolve inconsistencies within an estimated 45 days. Vunich told the board that if staff finds tenant signage or other improvements inconsistent with previous authorizations, the applicant must present a plan to address those items before the monument sign will be permitted. Board member discussion led to a motion that allows construction to proceed once staff confirms compliance or after staff and applicant resolve any noncompliance within the period set by staff.

The motion to approve included specific staff review items (lighting, tenant signs, vegetation along the base of the sign and in the right-of-way) and authorized staff to withhold issuance of the permit until inconsistencies were corrected to the departments satisfaction. The roll-call vote was unanimous: Bob Morris approve; Anthony Reiner approve; David Bertolino approve; Michael Lee approve; Kevin Lux approve.

Background: The Village Plaza center is a roughly 36,000-square-foot shopping center located off Highway 100. The property is zoned C-8 planned commercial per a site-specific ordinance originally approved by St. Louis County in 1978 and since amended by the city. The architectural review board reviewed the proposed sign July 10 and suggested low-level shrubbery at the base of the sign; the departments recommendation mirrors that suggestion.

Discussion v. Decision: Discussion focused on how to address existing nonconforming elements at the center and on a reasonable timeline for staff review. The decision approved replacement of the sign in its existing location and size while directing staff to verify or correct other site elements before sign installation.