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Kent County board approves 140‑foot Tidewater water tower and larger sign despite staff objection on sign size
Summary
The Kent County Board of Adjustment approved three variances for a proposed Gerald Ridge water tower — permitting a 140‑foot height, a sign mounted at about 124 ft, and a 672‑sq‑ft sign — after the applicant argued technical need for pressure and cited past approvals. The sign‑size variance passed 6‑1.
The Kent County Board of Adjustment voted to approve three variances for a proposed Tidewater Utilities elevated water tank in the Gerald Ridge subdivision on April 16, 2026, allowing the utility to build a roughly 500,000‑gallon tank about 137 feet to the top (the board allowed up to 140 feet), mount a sign at roughly 123.5–124 feet above grade, and exceed the county’s 10% sign‑area limit by permitting a 672‑square‑foot sign (24% of the code’s reference area). The board approved the height and sign‑height variances unanimously and approved the sign‑size variance 6‑1.
The application (A‑26‑07) was presented by Tidewater’s counsel, Elio Bautista Jr. of Parkowski, Gherkin, Swayze & Dover, and engineer Charles Barnett of Morrison Ritchie Associates. Bautista said Tidewater sought the same variances previously granted for similar projects (Eagle Meadows and Fork Branch in late 2024) and brought technical evidence…
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