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Planning board approves second monument sign and 25% height increase for Trio BP redevelopment on Grand Avenue
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Summary
The Gurnee Planning and Zoning Board approved a minor sign exception to allow a second monument sign and separately approved a 25% height increase for the BP/Trio redevelopment at 4885 Grand Avenue; staff said building permits must be issued before sign permits are released.
The Gurnee Planning and Zoning Board on April 15 approved two minor sign exceptions for the Trio BP redevelopment at 4885 Grand Avenue, allowing a second monument sign and a separate 25% increase in sign height.
The board’s chair, John Sula, handled the motions after staff presented the petition from Graham Enterprises and described site constraints. Staff said the parcel has about 870 feet of combined street frontage, short of the village’s 1,000-foot guideline, and noted large nearby signs including the Walgreens and the Gurnee Plaza sign, which helped frame the request.
Project architect Paul Mikas, speaking for applicant WT Group, described materials and lighting: the monument faces will be built of masonry covered with cultured stone, the leader board will be prefinished aluminum in green, and certain brand elements would be lit while other elements would not. “The entire face is going to be built out of mason and covered with the cultured stone,” Mikas said, adding that the Helios element would be illuminated while other parts would not.
Board members questioned the visibility and orientation of the proposed corner sign, noting lot geometry and sightlines. One member said the corner sign may primarily be visible to drivers in the parking lot or to east–west traffic rather than north–south traffic, and asked whether the setback requirement limited repositioning. Staff and the architect explained a pending land swap and a required 10-foot setback that constrained placement.
After discussion, a board member moved to approve the minor sign exception to allow a second monument sign; the motion was seconded and passed by roll call. The board then separately approved the requested 25% height increase, again by motion and roll call.
Staff clarified that sign permits will not be issued until the full building permit is granted; the applicant said the project is being bid and that final building-permit approval is expected shortly, at which time sign permits can be issued.
The board’s approvals complete the Planning and Zoning Board’s sign-authority review; the next steps for the project are building permits and site development.
