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ZBA asks for renderings, comparables as Quality Hardware seeks larger wall sign
Summary
Quality Hardware representative asked the Saratoga Springs Zoning Board of Appeals for variances to increase letter height and a logo element on a new wall sign; board left public hearing open and requested renderings and neighborhood comparisons before deciding.
The Saratoga Springs Zoning Board of Appeals opened a public hearing May 12 on an area-variance request for a new wall sign at 110 Excelsior (Quality Hardware).
The applicant, represented by Carl Wheeler of AJ Signs, asked the board for larger letters and a larger circular logo element — requesting 24-inch letters where the Unified Development Ordinance allows 18 inches and a 48-inch circular logo element. "The reason we're seeking a variance is the letter height. We're looking for 24 inches where you're allowed 18," Wheeler said, adding that the "Q" logo is proportionally much larger than the lettering.
Board members said they are open to the idea that the circular "Q" functions as a logo rather than text, but asked the applicant to provide side-by-side renderings that show what the lettering and other sign elements would look like at the permitted 18-inch height. "To make a comparison, I would want to see what 18 inches looks like, just a rendering so that we can compare," said ZBA member Shaffer Gaskin. Members also asked for comparisons to adjacent businesses' signage and for documentation of the current sign dimensions; the applicant indicated they would obtain permit records and provide those materials.
The board discussed existing signage on the façade — smaller brand panels (for example, paint brands) and a larger central sign that previously measured about 4 by 12 feet with roughly 12-inch letters — and said that if the applicant can show the proposed design is consistent with neighboring signs or that reducing other sign elements is possible, that would strengthen the case for limited relief. "It might also be more compelling if you're willing to minimize or reduce some of the other signage," Gaskin said.
No vote was taken. The ZBA left the public hearing open and asked the applicant to submit revised materials, including: (1) a rendering showing the sign at the code-compliant 18-inch letter height; (2) comparable signs in the immediate area; and (3) confirmation of which existing signs will be removed or retained. The board said the matter will return at a later meeting (next meeting noted as June 2).
