Decatur board approves oversized signs for new Speedway with compliance condition

The Board of Zoning Adjustments for the City of Decatur on Monday approved variances that will allow a new Speedway at 3523 Deer Road SE to install larger illuminated signage than current rules permit. Staff read the application seeking a 300.64-square-foot attached-sign area variance (section 25-76 E2) and an 80-square-foot directional-sign variance (section 25-73.2).

Colby Dodd, who said he represents Dodd Signs & Service LLC, told the board the signs are intended to make it easier for truck drivers to distinguish lanes and to prevent trucks and cars from mixing. He said the proposed signs would be lit and larger than a typical speed-limit sign and described placement examples that are roughly 10–20 feet off the property line on sites the company has previously installed. City staff and planning representatives had no comment during the hearing.

Board members questioned setback and placement details and asked the applicant to clarify the hardship. A board member offered a motion to approve “as submitted” on the condition that the directional signage be in compliance with the zoning ordinance; the motion was seconded and approved by roll call (Elaine Dean: Yes; Tom Poult: Yes; Flora Gonzalez: Yes; Mark Modi: Yes).

The approval is conditional—directional signage must meet the ordinance standard—and the applicant did not provide precise final setback measurements at the hearing. The board relied on the site plan the applicant provided and the applicant’s examples of prior installations. The planning and building departments recorded no formal opposition in the meeting record.

Next steps: the applicant must ensure the directional signage meets the applicable ordinance requirements before installation.