The Brentwood Planning & Zoning Commission on Wednesday recommended approval of lot consolidation, rezoning, site development plans and a comprehensive sign plan for the Brentwood Public Library at 2201 South Brentwood Boulevard, approving the applicant’s proposed brick-letter sign and individual unit-mounted rooftop screens by a 5-3 roll-call vote.

Commission chair Hart Nelson presided over the meeting and the commission heard roughly 90 minutes of testimony and questions on the library’s proposed facade lettering, rooftop mechanical screening, and related site changes. Commissioner Carlin moved to approve the consolidated package with the applicant’s individual rooftop screens and the sign as presented; Commissioner Jack Nolan seconded the motion. The roll call recorded Yes votes from Vice Chair Mark Fivaza, Nolan, Carlin, Commissioner Moore and Commissioner Lisa Schwerring, and No votes from Commissioners Jack Shelton, Sherry Bilderback and Mr. Hunt. The commission’s recommendation now goes to the Board of Aldermen for final action on Feb. 3, 2025.

Why it matters: The commission’s decision clears the way — subject to aldermanic approval — for an architectural treatment that will display the word “LIBRARY” in turned brick across a major Brentwood Boulevard elevation, and it resolves a parallel debate over whether rooftop mechanical equipment should be enclosed by a single continuous screen or by unit-mounted screens that attach to individual rooftop units. The commission’s recommendation sets a local precedent for how large civic building signage and rooftop screening are treated under the city’s Plan Development Overlay District rules.

Staff and applicant details: Planning staff (Kelly) explained the application package and cited the Plan Development Overlay District architectural standards that require rooftop mechanical equipment to be screened when visible from grade and from specified streets, and that prohibit metal siding on building elevations visible from Manchester Road, Brentwood Boulevard, Eagle Road or Hanley Road or elevations abutting residential property. Staff advised that a single continuous rooftop screen generally provides a more unified visual result but may require additional structural penetrations on the existing roof.

The applicant’s representative, Steven Kessel (design team; representing the library board), explained that the roof screens proposed for the existing building are unit-mounted — they attach directly to each mechanical unit and do not require posts through the roof — and that installing a continuous post-and-rail screen around all equipment on the existing roof would require additional structural reinforcement and more roof penetrations. Kessel said the unit-mounted screens reduce the number of through-roof penetrations and that the design team had grouped rooftop units where possible to reduce visible screens.

Sign design and public comment: The applicant proposes a large masonry treatment that uses turned brick to form the letters; staff described the proposed primary sign area as 777.5 square feet (reduced by about 9 square feet from an earlier submission). The project also includes a ground wall sign near an outdoor patio (11.3 square feet) and a small panel at the Moritz Avenue entrance; staff stated those smaller elements posed no issue.

Commissioner Sherry Bilderback said the proposed wall text amounts to “a giant billboard on the side of the building,” expressing concern about precedent and fairness to private property owners. She said, “If it ends up looking like this, I'm gonna vote against the project just because of the billboard.” Several commissioners pressed the design team on alternatives and whether a smaller treatment had been tested; the applicant and their owners’ representative, Colette Koshelski of Navigate Building Solutions, said reducing the letter forms would have compromised legibility because the letters are formed from brick modules and cannot be simply scaled down. Library board member Jeanette Ostergley and resident Ed Wright urged approval, arguing the treatment identifies a long‑standing civic use and is not commercial advertising. Wright said the board was asking commissioners to “use your judgment” and grant a variance because the library has occupied the site for 70 years and the proposal is a civic identification, not commercial advertising.

Material and code issues: Commissioners and staff discussed a code provision that prohibits metal siding on certain visible elevations; the ordinance language explained that mechanical equipment visible from grade and specified streets “shall be screened by a wall with a finished surface compatible in design and color with the finished building wall.” The commission questioned whether the proposed louvered aluminum screens would meet the ordinance’s requirement for a finished surface compatible with the building elevation. Staff clarified that the code’s intent is to prevent rooftop equipment visibility and to provide sound buffering; the code does not mandate a single continuous screen.

Outcome and next steps: The commission’s recommendation approves the site development plans and sign as presented and accepts unit-mounted rooftop screens rather than a single continuous enclosure. The decision is advisory; final approval rests with the Board of Aldermen at its Feb. 3, 2025 meeting. The planning file will be forwarded with the commission’s findings and the staff report conditions.

What remains unresolved: The commission split on aesthetics and precedent, with multiple members asking how future private applicants should be treated if the board approves a large civic graphic. Several commissioners requested the Board of Aldermen consider the same fairness questions when they review the comprehensive sign plan. The rooftop screening approach was clarified as a matter of engineering and preservation of the existing roof structure: continuous screening would require additional posts and roof penetrations and probable reinforcement of existing roof structure; unit-mounted screens avoid that work but present a less continuous visual element.