Commission approves reduced setback, smaller-than-requested sign area for Fisher Road property after neighborhood objections

The commission approved a variance for 1071 Fisher Road to legalize existing signage and reduce the required ground‑sign setback from 15 feet to 4 feet 6 inches, and to increase the maximum allowed ground‑sign area to 53 square feet, the body said during the hearing.

The request came from owner Tim Rollins and counsel Jack Reynolds of Smith and Hale to resolve a code enforcement action involving signage installed on a planter at the intersection of Fisher Road and Kenny Road. Rollins said the property functions as a coworking space with about 50 offices and frequent short‑term tenant turnover, and that on‑site signs help prospective tenants find available units. Reynolds told the commission, “we're trying to legitimatize an existing condition out there.”

Neighbors objected to the size and location of the signage. Monica Tuttle, who identified herself as a nearby resident at 780 Stinson Drive, said, “The signage is very large and very overbearing. It is in a primarily residential area.” Tuttle urged the commission either to reduce the variance granted or to table the application to solicit more neighborhood feedback.

Staff summary and applicant adjustments

City planning staff described the 0.49‑acre site as within an apartment‑residential‑office (ARO) district and said the applicant originally sought three ground signs (one permanent and two temporary) and a larger total area; staff noted the application had since been revised to consolidate the temporary panels onto the existing planter sign. The staff recommendation included a condition that any temporary sign be flush with the top of the permanent ground sign.

During discussion the applicant agreed to remove two temporary panel signs and instead mount the website and contact information on the planter sign, which reduced the total calculated graphic area. The applicant and staff explained the city counts certain graphic elements (including the applicant’s decorative paperclip) when calculating total permitted sign area; the paperclip measures roughly 7–9 feet tall and the planter footprint measures approximately 16 feet by 38.5 feet. Staff reported the planter wall graphic as about 24.73 square feet; adding the paperclip sculpture reduced the variance request from an initial 70 square feet down to an agreed figure near 53 square feet.

Outcome and conditions

A motion to approve application GC24‑047 passed on roll call. The commission approved the variance subject to conditions that the applicant submit a revised elevation/site plan for stamping at the next monthly meeting and that the temporary panels be removed with the website placed on the planter. Staff will verify that the temporary element is flush with the permanent sign and that the revised drawings reflect the consolidated design. The commission recorded the action as an approval; the final motion language referenced staff recommendations and the applicant’s amended plan.

Why it matters

The case illustrates how the city’s graphic‑area rules treat sculptural or logo elements and how consolidation of multiple temporary signs into a single planter sign can reduce the size of a required variance. Neighbors said visibility and the bright, tall paperclip element were out of character with adjacent residential streets; the applicant said the element aids wayfinding at a busy intersection and that the revisions substantially reduce the visual impact.

What happens next

The applicant must provide the revised elevation/site plan for commission stamping at the next meeting, per the commission’s condition. The approved variance and the required revised drawings will be part of the public file for GC24‑047.