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Zoning board approves larger roadside sign and electronic message board for 10 Harding Street
Summary
The Zoning Board of Appeals granted a special permit allowing a 25-foot sign and a 3-by-9-foot electronic message panel at 10 Harding Street after hearing that a larger sign is needed for visibility on Route 44.
The Town of Lakeville Zoning Board of Appeals on June 12 approved a special permit for a freestanding sign and electronic message board at 10 Harding Street for the property owner Lehi Development.
The applicant, Tim Hashem, president of Lehi Development, and Scott Clement of Sign Design told the board the proposed sign would be 25 feet tall with an electronic message center measuring 3 feet by 9 feet (27 square feet). Planning staff materials in the meeting record show the property owner requested relief from local sign limits for height and area; the application packet and referenced town bylaws were available at the planning department.
Lehi Development said the sign is intended to serve a 14-unit building on Route 44, a high-speed roadway where the applicants argued a smaller sign would not be visible. "We're trying to bring that property back to life," said Tim Hashem. Sign designer Scott Clement told the board a small sign "is not gonna work too well" on Route 44 and said the proposed design was sized to be in character with neighboring commercial signs.
The Planning Board had recommended reducing the height by at least 2 feet and asked the applicant to clarify the electronic panel dimensions; the Board of Health submitted a memo saying it had no objections. Applicants confirmed the electronic panel is 3-by-9 feet and that messages would be tenant-related and would comply with state guidance on change frequency and prohibitions on flashing displays. The board discussed sight-line and safety reasons for elevating the sign above the first 8 feet of a pole so drivers exiting the adjacent driveway have a clear field of view.
A board member moved to approve "the petition as proposed." The motion was seconded and the board voted in favor; the clerk noted the 14-day filing with the clerk’s office and a 20-day statutory appeal period before the permit can be recorded and registered.
The board recorded the approval and outlined the standard post-approval steps: record the decision, allow the appeal window, and then file with the registry before obtaining a permit.
