The Village Council on Nov. 20 denied a variance application from a Southern Boulevard auto dealership seeking a substantially larger facade entry sign and an extra wall sign.

The applicant and sign‑fabricator told the council the new Nissan brand ‘tablet’ is a global standard and argued the dealership’s setback from the road and recent facade renovations required a larger, higher‑end entry element for visibility. "The Nissan logo has been redesigned and is now our time to bring the logo to the Village of Royal Palm Beach," the applicant said while describing the updated branding.

Council members voiced concern that the applicant had entered contractual branding obligations and then sought a waiver from a sign code designed to ensure village character. The village attorney reminded the dais that variances must satisfy seven codified criteria and that past approvals on other properties do not set precedent. "By village code definition, this is a cabinet sign," the attorney said, noting the technical classification removes ambiguity about which section of code applies.

Council debated whether corporate branding obligations could constitute a hardship that meets the variance criteria; several members said they were not persuaded. A motion to deny the entire variance application (citing failure to meet criteria Nos. 2 and 3) carried unanimously.

The applicant was advised it could either withdraw and revise the submittal or pursue architectural and planning approvals for signage types that comply with village code. The decision preserves the village’s current sign standards and signals council reluctance to rely on outside corporate branding requirements alone as grounds for variances.