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Zoning board recommends conditional use for electronic message sign at 650 Northwest Highway
Summary
The Cary Board of Zoning, Planning and Appeals voted to recommend approval of a conditional use to add an electronic message center to a monument sign at 650 Northwest Highway; staff says the proposed EMC would be 25 sq ft (about 34% of a 72 sq ft sign) and would meet Unified Development Ordinance standards.
The Cary Board of Zoning, Planning and Appeals voted to recommend approval of a conditional use to install an electronic message center (EMC) on the monument sign at 650 Northwest Highway.
Brian Simmons, asked by the chair to brief the board, said the property — annexed in 1981 as part of Cary Square Shopping Center — is zoned B-2 and that the proposed sign would total 72 square feet, with an EMC portion of about 25 square feet (roughly 34% of the sign). ‘‘Within the code, there are various requirements for electronic message center signs,’’ Simmons said, identifying Section 5.12.3 of the Unified Development Ordinance as governing EMCs. He said the ordinance requires conditional-use approval for EMCs, limits EMCs to 40% of permitted sign area, requires messages to be static (no motion or flashing) and mandates controls for nighttime illumination so the sign is not too bright for passing vehicles.
The petitioner, representing Motif Sign Group (the case lists Advia Credit Union as the property owner), told the board the EMC had been removed when the site transitioned from Golden Eagle Bank and that they were seeking to reinstall it. ‘‘We've contracted with SignArt and they assured me that they have the dimming and everything that's in compliance,’’ the representative said.
Simmons reviewed the property's history and the proposal's conformance with the UDO. He said the petitioner provided responses addressing the conditional-use standards, including that the sign would not endanger public welfare or negatively impact surrounding properties. Staff recommended that the ZPA recommend approval to the village board subject to the conditions listed in the staff report.
No members of the public spoke during the public-comment period. After brief discussion, a board member moved and another seconded a motion to recommend approval subject to the six conditions in the staff report. The board then conducted a roll-call vote; the chair announced a positive recommendation. Simmons said the case is scheduled for the Village Board on April 7 for final action.
The decision is a recommendation only; the Village Board will make the final determination at its April 7 meeting.
