El Paso City zoning board approves six monument signs for large warehouse but leaves third Northwestern sign unresolved

The Zoning Board of Adjustment of El Paso City on April 20 approved a variance allowing a proposed warehouse site to install six monument signs on the property, but left unresolved a separate request to permit three monument signs along Northwestern Drive.

Planning staff told the board the roughly 28.4-acre site along North Desert Boulevard and Pelón Norte Boulevard needs extra on-site wayfinding for heavy commercial vehicle traffic. Staff recommended approval of a total of six monument signs per premise, conditioned on limiting the number of signs to no more than two per frontage road, and recommended denial of the special request to allow three monument signs specifically along Northwestern Drive, saying the applicant had not demonstrated the legal “unnecessary hardship” required for that second relief.

Colin Corvix, speaking for the applicant, said the signs would be primarily directional and were designed to be legible to large commercial vehicles and delivery vans. He said the proposed monument signs are 7 ft tall with about 48 sq ft of face area and noted that branded copy on each face would be small (the applicant said roughly 9.5 sq ft of brand copy). He argued that standard directional signs allowed by city code (10 sq ft, 3 ft maximum height) are too small to safely guide 18-wheelers and high-clearance vehicles into the correct entrances.

Board members pressed staff and the applicant on spacing, proximity to a planned highway expansion, ownership of corner parcels and the risk of visual clutter. Staff reiterated that city sign code treats sign allowances per premise rather than per block, and that staff found no local precedent for approving three monument signs along a single frontage in this area. Some members said public-safety concerns for large vehicles favored more signage; others said that the ordinance’s hardship standard and the city’s interest in preventing sign proliferation meant the narrower staff recommendation was appropriate.

After extended debate and multiple motions, the board approved a motion permitting a total of six monument signs on the property with a condition that the signs be installed for directional/wayfinding purposes. Repeated motions specifically to allow three monument signs on Northwestern Drive produced mixed roll calls and did not secure the votes needed to adopt that variance; the board then voted to postpone further action on the Northwestern-drive request to a later date so the applicant and staff can return with modifications or further information.

Planning staff noted the code’s directional-sign standard (10 sq ft, up to 3 ft in height) is distinct from monument-sign allowances; monument signs may be substantially larger, which is why the applicant pursued a variance. Staff also highlighted that the city’s sign regulations cap the number of monument signs per frontage road to two for most properties and that the board’s approval of six signs was conditioned to preserve that spacing limit per frontage unless otherwise modified.

What happens next: the variance to allow six monument signs on the property stands with board conditions. The separate application for three monument signs along Northwestern Drive was postponed and may return with revised designs, reduced copy, or other changes the board suggested, including making one sign conform to directional size limits or shifting entrances to reduce the need for an additional monument sign.