Delaware City BZA considers Kroger’s request for 92-sq.-ft. pickup sign; staff recommended denial

The Delaware City Board of Zoning Appeals on April 9 considered a variance request from Sign Vision Company, on behalf of Kroger, to install a 92-square-foot illuminated wall sign at 1840 Columbus Pike to identify grocery pickup parking.

The request would increase the store’s total wall signage above the limits in the city’s sign regulations and add a wall sign beyond the three permitted for a traditional business unit. Planning staff recommended the board deny the variance, saying the applicant had not demonstrated a legal hardship that would justify the larger sign.

Staff planner Reed told the board the property is in a B-3 community business district and that the city’s sign rules (Chapter 1165 of the city zoning code) limit wall signage for a traditional business unit to a base of 125 square feet and no more than three wall signs. Reed said the site already has about 205 square feet of wall signage; adding the proposed 92-square-foot pickup sign would raise the total to roughly 297 square feet.

Rebecca Green, speaking for Sign Vision and Kroger, said the company is rolling out new branding and pickup operations first introduced during the COVID period and that the pickup sign is meant to direct customers to designated pickup parking and reduce vehicle-pedestrian contacts. "The idea is here to try to keep people separated from as many cars as possible," Green said, describing the sign’s role in safety and customer flow.

Board members questioned whether alternatives—directional ground signs, pavement markings, moving an existing sign, or permanently mounting existing temporary signs—could accomplish the same goals without exceeding wall-sign limits. Staff noted the zoning code allows directional and instructional signs, which are typically ground-mounted and smaller, and said staff could work with the property owner on converting temporary parking signs to permanent installations.

Several board members expressed concern that the proposed design appears more like brand advertising than purely directional signage. Member Rosenthal said the “fresh cart” emblem on Kroger’s new sign does little to direct traffic and looks like rebranding rather than a traffic-control device.

The board also discussed nonconforming signage already on site and whether that prior permitting history affected the request; staff said some previously approved signage dates from earlier approvals and that staff occasionally approved signage that was less nonconforming than what preexisted on-site.

After discussion, Chair Ben D'Ariano moved to approve the variance with staff’s recommended conditions but with the staff’s third recommended condition (removal of all unpermitted temporary signs) struck from the resolution; Miss Fisher seconded. Board members recorded votes during a roll call: Jim Bonus (No); Miss Fisher (Yes); Mr. Rosenthal (No); Vice Chair Brett Latta (No); Chair Ben D'Ariano (Yes). Board member Michael Schwab had stated earlier in the meeting that he would abstain from the Kroger hearing; Mayor Mary Riggle did not state a clear vote during the roll call recorded in the transcript. The transcript records the individual responses above; it does not include a clear, complete tally for every member in the audio file provided.

Beyond the variance itself, staff told the board that a sign-code rewrite is underway and that a draft was expected to go to the Planning Commission in May with possible City Council action in June or July. Staff said revisions aim to update dated or conflicting rules and to provide more predictability for large-format storefronts that now serve multiple functions (retail, pickup, pharmacy, etc.).

The board told the applicants staff would follow up after the meeting to discuss next steps and potential compliance matters. The transcript shows the board agreed to continue coordination with the applicant and the property owner regarding permanent installation of any permitted wayfinding or parking signs.

Votes at a glance - Election of chair: Ben D'Ariano elected chair (motion carried; roll call recorded in transcript). - Election of vice chair: Brett Latta elected vice chair (motion carried; roll call recorded in transcript). - Motion-summary amendment (12/11/2024 meeting): Board voted to amend the motion summary to indicate whether emailed public comments were in support or opposition; the amended summary was approved with Mr. Bonus recorded as abstaining in the approval roll call. - Variance V-25-1 (Sign Vision/Kroger, 1840 Columbus Pike): Motion made to approve the variance with conditions 1, 2 and 4 and to remove staff’s proposed condition 3. Individual roll-call responses from the transcript include: Jim Bonus — No; Miss Fisher — Yes; Mr. Rosenthal — No; Vice Chair Brett Latta — No; Chair Ben D'Ariano — Yes. Michael Schwab had earlier stated he would abstain from the Kroger hearing; Mayor Mary Riggle’s vote was not clearly stated in the recorded roll-call segment.

The board’s discussion and the staff presentation will be part of the record; staff said it would work with the applicant and the property owner on implementing any approved signage and on bringing temporary signs into compliance with the sign code once permissions and leases allow.

Meeting context The April 9 session lasted about 55 minutes and included procedural items (election of officers, correction to a prior motion summary) and a single contested hearing on a signage variance for a major grocery tenant in the Delaware Community Plaza. Several board members raised implementation and safety questions; staff reiterated that a zoning-code update is in progress that could affect how large-format retail signage is regulated.

Ending Staff will follow up with Sign Vision/Kroger and the property owner on next steps and any compliance work; the board indicated it will circulate the pending sign-code draft to members once completed.