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Board upholds director on driveway-sign definition; approves larger internal certified-scale sign for QuikTrip site
Summary
The board declined to overturn the planning director's interpretation that proposed on-site directional signage met the UDC's driveway-sign definition, denied a larger driveway-sign variance, but approved a larger internal certified-scale sign for a proposed QuikTrip truck facility.
The St. Tammany Parish Board of Adjustments on Dec. 3 considered an appeal and related variance petitions from QuikTrip Corporation for signage at a proposed truck-and-fuel facility at the corner of Brown Switch Road and U.S. 11.
Jeff Shane, attorney for the applicant, said the signs along internal drives and at a vehicle scale are intended to separate truck traffic from passenger vehicles and direct truckers to a certified scale and entrance. Shane pointed to a prior Board of Adjustments approval for a travel center where staff and the board treated a scale sign as a directional sign and said the new UDC's definition for directional sign lacks an explicit size limit, leading to inconsistent treatment.
Planning staff told the board the director had determined the proposed signs meet the definition and intent of 'driveway signs' and therefore must not exceed 4 square feet. Staff cited UDC provisions about definitions and rules of interpretation (sections 100-12 and 600-4.x) and recommended upholding the director.
The board first voted on whether to overturn the director's interpretation that the signs were subject to the driveway-sign limit; that motion failed. The board then considered two separate variance requests: one to increase the on-site driveway/directional sign face from 4 square feet to 14 square feet at three perimeter/internal driveway locations, and a separate request to allow a large internal certified-scale sign (the 'scale' sign). The variance to increase the driveway sign area to 14 square feet failed; the board reasoned the exterior directional signs are visible from public rights-of-way and the code's size limits served the UDC goal of limiting on-site advertising.
The board approved the variance for the internal certified-scale sign by a 4-1 vote. Board members who supported the scale-sign variance said the sign sits within the interior of the site and serves a specific operational safety function: truckers must position vehicles precisely on the scale to obtain certified axle weights. The motion approving the scale sign specified the sign area excludes posts and is subject to standard permitting and inspection.
Board discussion referenced pending UDC language clarifications the parish intends to send to the council in January. Board counsel also noted the Board of Adjustments' authority to hear appeals where a party alleges a staff error in an administrative determination.
The meeting record shows no public opposition in the hearing room. The applicant indicated willingness to reduce proposed sizes if the board suggested specific alternatives, but the board approved only the internal scale sign change at this meeting.
