Zoning board approves two sign replacements and grants upper‑story sign for Hilton Garden Inn after debate

The Saratoga Springs Zoning Board of Appeals on April 7 considered three related area‑variance requests for signage at 125 South Broadway (Hilton Garden Inn). The board approved two sign changes unanimously and ultimately approved a third request for an upper‑story wall sign by a 5‑1 vote after extended discussion about comparables and the pedestrian‑oriented Neighborhood Center T5 district.

Adirondack Sign Company (representing Allen Industries) sought three variances under a single application number: (1) replacement of a porte‑cochère (bridge) sign face/logo (from an 18‑inch logo to a 20‑inch logo — 2‑inch, or approximately 11% relief), (2) replacement of a monument sign that exceeded the 12‑square‑foot maximum (proposed 14.5 sq ft; relief 2.5 sq ft, about 20.8%), and (3) addition of a wall sign with halo‑lit letters on the upper story facing north (a sign above second‑floor elevations, proposed 22 sq ft at about 34 feet elevation) that is explicitly disallowed by the Unified Development Ordinance’s restrictions on signs above the second floor in the T5 district.

For the porte‑cochère logo replacement, the board found the new logo would replace an existing sign of the same framing and overall dimensions and that a smaller logo would defeat the applicant’s objective of identifying the hotel entrance; the motion approved the 2‑inch increase in logo height. The vote was unanimous: Christopher LaPointe — in favor; Jonah Cohen — in favor; Shaffer Gaston — in favor; Otis Maxwell — in favor; Brendan Daly — in favor; Gage Simpson — in favor.

For the monument sign, the board found replacing the existing sign on the existing stone base would avoid the need for a new base and that a smaller sign would be less useful in identifying the hotel entrance; the motion approved replacement at 14.5 square feet (relief 2.5 sq ft). The motion passed unanimously 6‑0.

The upper‑story wall sign drew the most debate. Board members questioned whether the comparables presented by the applicant — several hotels and business signs shown by the applicant — were sufficiently similar in zoning context and height to justify a variance in a T5 pedestrian‑oriented district. Some members noted that many comparables were outside the T5 zone or located away from the core pedestrian area of Broadway, while others said hotels with 20 or more guest rooms were more comparable than individual downtown businesses.

An initial motion to deny the upper‑story wall sign was proposed and voted on; that denial did not carry. The board then considered an approved motion to permit the wall sign, finding these factors in support: the property’s berm, trees, landscaping, the position and frontage of the building, and the sign’s proposed 22‑square‑foot size (the board noted the wall frontage is greater than 26 feet, allowing a 40‑square‑foot maximum under the wall‑sign standard). The resolution records that the board considered the requested variance substantial because the sign is above the second floor and at a higher elevation than most comparables, and that the height and illumination “may be disruptive to the neighborhood aesthetic,” but concluded those concerns were mitigated by the site constraints and comparables for hotels of similar scale.

The final approval vote on the wall sign was recorded as: Jonah Cohen — in favor; Shaffer Gaston — in favor; Otis Maxwell — in favor; Brendan Daly — in favor; Gage Simpson — in favor; Christopher LaPointe — opposed. The motion passed 5‑1.

Applicant Adam Marrow of the sign company presented multiple photo comparables during the hearing and told the board he had “found more than I expected.” The board’s written resolutions are dated April 7, 2025. The approvals note that all permits remain subject to standard permit review and any conditions identified by permit staff.