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Sign board approves Burger King variance to proceed to council, requires conforming application
Summary
The Sign Board voted 3-2 to approve the Burger King sign-variance case (SB25-0007) and required the applicant to submit a conforming sign application prior to the next City Council meeting.
The City of Southlake Sign Board voted 3-2 on Aug. 21, 2025, to approve the sign-variance case SB25-0007 for the Burger King at 125 N. Kimball Ave., while directing the operator to submit a conforming sign application before the next City Council meeting.
Staff described two installed signs at the site: a freestanding order sign/canopy roughly 9 feet 9 inches tall and about 6 feet wide with a 46-inch display, and a media/menu board whose noncompliant aspect is the absence of a masonry surround required by the ordinance. Staff said one small wall sign previously at the location had been removed.
Tamar Chapa, identifying herself as a project manager working with Cent Holdings on the Burger King location, said the work was done before her company took over the project and that the canopy/menu arrangement had been in place about two years. Chapa said the operator is willing to obtain a permit and “we're happy to comply” if a permit is required, and asked that the menu board not be removed while the matter is resolved.
Board members discussed enforcement, precedence and business operations. Some members said the canopy and menu board are functional for drive-through customers and voiced concern about forcing a temporary closure. Others emphasized that the lack of a permit is a recurring issue and the board should not encourage a practice of “doing the work and asking forgiveness later.”
The board first considered a motion to deny the variance but ultimately approved a motion that passed 3-2 to approve the case SB25-0007 while instructing the applicant to submit a conforming sign application prior to the upcoming City Council meeting. The staff and several board members encouraged the applicant to include photographs of nearby fast-food standard installations for council context.
The board noted that if the City Council ultimately denies permit relief, the applicant would be required to remove the nonconforming signs after council action and an inspection process. The sign-board approval allows the business to continue operating while the application and council process proceed.
