Salina design board postpones Aero Pilates sign review after staff finds proposal exceeds C‑4 size limits

The Salina Downtown Design Review Board on Feb. 12 postponed review of a sign package for Aero Pilates and Fitness at 109 South Santa Fe after planning staff told the board the proposal remained noncompliant with the C‑4 district sign regulations.

Planning staff told the board that the application filed by contractor Tiffany (recorded in the packet as Tiffany Nagle/Nagel) on behalf of owner Crystal Venters included a non‑illuminated wall sign plus window vinyl panels and that the total proposed sign area was about 83.6 square feet. "If the city cannot issue a permit for the proposed work due to obvious noncompliance with the applicable standards of this code, the board shall not hear the application unless" specified exceptions apply, staff read from Salina City Code section 2‑207(f), and recommended postponement to allow submission of a code‑compliant proposal.

Venters, who identified herself as the owner of Aero Pilates and Fitness, told the board, "My intention has always been to comply with the city's regulation and the downtown design guidelines. I am not seeking an exception. I'm simply asking for clear and consistent interpretation so that any revisions made are accurate and meaningful." She said the vinyl provides privacy for a predominantly female clientele and that her contractor had performed similar vinyl on other downtown businesses.

Staff explained the calculation: the C‑4 zoning lot allowance is 3 square feet per lineal foot of building frontage (25 feet of frontage => 75 sq ft zoning‑lot allowance), with no more than 67% (about 50 sq ft) allowed on a single building wall. Staff also said there is a window‑sign exemption when vinyl is affixed to the interior of a window, does not convey an advertising message and covers less than 33% of the total window area on a wall. Based on records from an earlier facade plan, staff said the front window area totals about 259.46 sq ft and that the proposed window vinyl, as presented on the exterior, remains a regulated sign and therefore counts toward the 50 sq ft wall limit.

Staff offered two principal options: postpone to allow the applicant to submit revised, code‑compliant plans, or deny the application on the ground that it is premature for a hearing because it cannot be permitted in its current form. After board members discussed possible fixes — including printing the vinyl for interior application or redrawing letter bounding boxes to reduce measured area — the board set a filing schedule. Staff said to appear on the Feb. 26 packet a revised submittal would have to be filed by Feb. 6; staff recommended allowing more time and set March 12 as the more practical next hearing date to permit a full review.

Remote commenter Leslie Bishop (SDI) told the board she supported Venters and said Venters "wants to follow the rules" and that Aero Pilates "has been a great benefit and a great enhancement to downtown." Following final comments, the board voted to postpone the matter to the March 12, 2026 meeting to allow the applicant to submit a code‑compliant revision.

The meeting packet and staff report include proposed findings for both postponement and denial; staff emphasized postponement preserves the board's ability to make a compatibility determination based on a final, permit‑eligible design. The board also noted application CC26‑001 (item 3.2) was withdrawn and the meeting adjourned.

Next procedural step: the applicant may submit revised plans addressing staff's measurement and interior/exterior application concerns ahead of the March 12 hearing. If no compliant revision is filed, staff said the code could direct the board to deny the application under section 2‑2114(c).