Homewood City committee declines to forward pole-sign variance for property adjacent to 27102 Street South

Homewood City’s Special Issues Committee voted July 1 not to recommend a request to replace an existing pole sign with a new internally illuminated cabinet in the right-of-way adjacent to 27102 Street South.

The request, filed as Item 90624 on behalf of a wellness/med spa tenant and Alpha Graphics, sought permission to remove the old cabinet and install a new illuminated face. Committee members and staff said the sign sits in the city right-of-way and is a pole sign—a style the city’s sign policy prohibits for new installations.

Committee members and counsel discussed whether the work proposed would be a routine refacing or an impermissible replacement that would extend the life of a nonconforming sign. Staff said they could not locate a permit for the sign and that, if the sign sits on city property, the city could require its removal. Because the sign’s legal status and ownership were unclear, several speakers said a variance was unlikely to be appropriate.

A member moved to recommend the variance request to the City Council and to set a public hearing; Miss Gear moved the motion and Miss Andress seconded. The committee voted and the motion failed by a 0–3 tally, so Item 90624 will not advance from the committee.

Members said enforcement or further action regarding similar pole signs in right-of-way would be handled consistently and that follow-up conversations could involve Mr Pew and the City attorney to determine ownership and any enforcement steps. No formal direction to pursue permits or removal was adopted at the meeting.

Because the committee did not forward the variance, the applicant’s options for replacing the cabinet appear limited under current city sign rules; the committee did not adopt an alternative path or timetable for reconsideration.