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Tampa variance board approves larger electronic sign and smaller setback at 4040 Henderson Blvd.
Summary
The Variance Review Board on Jan. 13 approved three sign variances for 4040 Henderson Blvd., allowing a 40‑sq‑ft electronic message center, a reduced separation of 129 ft and a 2.5‑ft setback; the applicant cited preexisting site constraints and visibility concerns on a 60‑ft corridor.
The City of Tampa Variance Review Board on Tuesday approved variances that permit a larger electronic message center (EMC) and a smaller setback for a monument sign at 4040 Henderson Boulevard.
The board granted three requests: an increase in EMC square footage from 16 to 40 square feet, a reduction in EMC separation distance from 300 feet to 129 feet, and a reduction in the freestanding sign setback from 5 feet to 2.5 feet as shown on the applicant’s site plan. Staff identified the property owner as TAC Holdings LLC and the applicant as Ady Mentry.
Ady Mentry, the applicant, told the board the sign location was constrained by an existing driveway and a retention pond and that a previously installed UPS EMC sign and the parcel’s circulation limited options. “We have reduced that from a reduction of 5 feet to 2 and a half feet,” Mentry said, noting the revision was made after board feedback at last month’s hearing.
Mentry also cited traffic counts and visibility on Henderson Boulevard, a 60‑foot corridor with more than 21,000 drivers per day, saying the smaller 16‑sq‑ft EMC would offer “2 to 4 inches” of letter height and be difficult to read at corridor speeds. The applicant argued a larger EMC improves legibility and safety by reducing driver hesitation.
Board members asked about the site plan, stormwater infrastructure and prior FDOT actions that affected right of way. After discussion a motion to grant the variances carried; the board recorded no opposition.
The variance is limited to the sign as depicted on the approved site plan and, as the chair reminded applicants at the start of the meeting, any variance granted expires two years from the decision date unless appealed. The applicant may request an appeal to city council within 14 days of the board’s written decision.
