Planning commission approves larger-than‑allowed signage for 1010 Admiral Court dealership

The San Bruno Planning Commission approved a sign deviation permit for a new auto dealership at 1010 Admiral Court that allows a total of 586 square feet of wall and monument signage where the San Bruno Municipal Code caps aggregate signage on the site at 225 square feet.

Assistant Planner Raquel Pledo told the commission the proposal includes two monument signs, one directional sign and nine wall signs as part of a coordinated branding package for the Genesis and Honda dealership under construction and that condition of approval for the underlying development required a separate sign review. "This is a request to allow 586 ft of wall and monument signage under San Bruno Municipal Code section 1210450," Pledo said, adding staff’s recommendation to approve SD25-00001 is based on the code’s three required findings: compatibility, street frontage and business type.

Staff’s findings cited the project’s coordinated branding as compatible with the modern dealership architecture, the site’s approximately 249 feet of street frontage and the characterization of auto dealerships as businesses that rely heavily on signage for brand visibility and wayfinding. Pledo noted the project was approved by the city council in March 2023 as a roughly 171,610-square-foot Genesis and Honda dealership and is currently under construction.

A commissioner moved to approve the sign deviation permit based on staff findings and conditions of approval; another commissioner seconded the motion. On roll call the commission recorded affirmative votes and the motion carried. The formal action was recorded as sign deviation permit SD25-00001; the mover and seconder were not specified on the transcript. The commission noted the decision is subject to a 10-day appeal period.

The permit application package included two monument signs (one displaying Hyundai and Genesis branding totaling 58.6 square feet for the monument sign described separately in staff’s presentation) and a directional sign of about 8.86 square feet, with the remainder of the area accounted for by multiple wall signs on north, south, east and southeast elevations, according to staff. The total proposed sign area (586 square feet) and the municipal limit (225 square feet) were called out repeatedly during the presentation.

The approval concludes the planning commission’s role in this discrete sign review; any appeals would be processed administratively within the city’s appeal timeframe.