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ZBA allows Raising Cane's sign package at 200 Endicott Street, citing design and modest square-foot overage
Summary
The Danvers Zoning Board of Appeals approved a variance/waiver allowing Raising Cane's to install a single 77-sq-ft freestanding sign, multiple building-mounted graphics totaling about 128.56 sq ft, and a 108-sq-ft first-floor mural at 200 Endicott Street.
The Zoning Board of Appeals granted a variance/waiver for the signage package proposed by Raising Cane's Restaurant LLC at 200 Endicott Street (docket 25-5120), the former Fidelity site. The board approved a package that included a single 77-square-foot freestanding sign, multiple wall signs and a painted mural on the building's first floor.
Attorney Nancy McCann described the proposal as part of a broader site redevelopment: "Raising Canes is coming to Danvers, 200 Endicott Street, formerly the, Fidelity, site." She told the board Raising Cane's is a permitted use in the C-3 district and that the new single-story building would include a double drive-through. Under the town's new sign bylaw the applicant requested relief for the number and total aggregate square footage of attached wall signs and for placement of a mural on the first floor (the bylaw permits murals above the first floor by right).
Raising Cane's property-development manager Melissa Brochu explained design and branding elements and presented the proposed "1 Love" mural and the restaurant's identifying graphics. She said the mural's central figure, Keane, is the chain's dog: "in the middle there, that is Keane, and Keane is actually a female." Brochu described the mural's symbols (a sockeye salmon, a hard hat, a disco ball and the "1 Love" motif) as references to the chain's origin story and brand identity; the board and staff saw those elements as consistent with Raising Cane's standard signage and palette.
Technical figures discussed at the hearing: the applicant proposed four circular "Cane" wall signs (24.14 sq ft each) plus a 32-square-foot image of Keane, for an aggregate of about 128.56 square feet of wall signage where the new bylaw allowed roughly 91.3 square feet by right. The single freestanding sign proposed is 77 square feet and 20 feet high; the applicant described canopy lettering that does not require relief and noted the proposed mural is about 108 square feet on the first floor (the bylaw's mural allowance would permit much larger murals above the first floor).
The planning board is continuing site plan review and had requested a third-party traffic peer review; at this hearing both applicant and staff said the sign package is independent of the traffic peer review and that the planning board's traffic review is ongoing. Board members asked about queuing and curb cuts; staff said the town and peer reviewer will complete the traffic review as part of site plan review.
After questions and deliberation the zoning board approved the requested waiver/variance for: (1) the single 77-sq-ft freestanding sign; (2) wall signs in the aggregate square footage requested (approximately 128.56 sq ft where 91.3 sq ft is allowed by right); and (3) a 108-sq-ft mural placed on the first floor. The board recorded a voice vote approving the motion; no roll-call tally appears in the hearing record.
Docket: 25-5120
