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Council limits Kwik Trip highway pole sign to 50 feet, 300 sq. ft. after appeal and public debate
Summary
After applicant requested a 100-foot, 624-square-foot pole sign for a new Kwik Trip near I-20, the council amended the appeal to match staff recommendation — 50 feet tall and 300 square feet — and approved the change 7–0.
The Midland City Council unanimously amended a sign-permit appeal on Aug. 26 to allow a 50‑foot tall pole sign with a 300‑square‑foot sign face for a proposed Kwik Trip site near Interstate 20, increasing the site’s total allowed signage to 517 square feet including monument signs.
Turner Sign Systems had appealed a building official’s denial of a permit that would have allowed a much larger pole sign. Company representative Craig Honeywell, on behalf of Kwik Trip, said visibility from the interstate and the need to display fuel pricing drove the request for a taller and larger sign; Honeywell presented field photos and crane-flag trials used to assess sightlines. City staff recommended a compromise aligning a 50‑foot height with what the city normally allows for properties with direct I‑20 frontage and proposed a 300‑square‑foot maximum for the pole sign.
Why it mattered: Council members who questioned the request said granting an oversized pole sign would establish a precedent for other highway-adjacent businesses, increase light pollution and invite an “arms race” of larger signage. Staff told the council that the sign code permits up to 50 feet where a property fronts I‑20; code otherwise limits signs in the area to significantly less height. Officials said they could locate no recent record of an approved sign higher than 50 feet within the city limits.
Council action: Councilmember Poole moved to amend the appeal to match staff recommendations (50 feet tall, 300 sq. ft., 517 sq. ft. total) and Councilmember Holder seconded. The amended motion passed 7–0, after which a final building permit process will follow code conditions and the council’s variance.
Ending: The permit will allow Kwik Trip a larger-than-code sign for its site near I‑20 but stop short of the 100‑foot, near‑billboard size the applicant requested. The council directed staff to apply the same sign-area logic used for the amendment: larger pole signs can be considered where the code contemplates I‑20 frontage, but the council limited height and total area to the approved compromise.
