Board of Zoning Appeals approves QTS sign variances, limits individual signs to 200 square feet under staff review

The UAB Board of Zoning Appeals on Nov. 25 approved Variance 65-2024 to allow larger and additional signs for QTS at 1235 and 1225 Beach Road SW, but the permit carries conditions that the applicant reduce the size of directional signs and keep wall signage to 200 square feet or less subject to staff approval.

Planning staff opened the case and described four categories of requested exceptions: larger directional signs (proposed 27.5 square feet and 6 feet 1 inch tall versus a code limit of 5 square feet and 4 feet tall), additional wall signs (the applicant requested four wall signs per building where code normally allows one per frontage), and several wall signs well above the existing 75-square-foot limit (two at about 152 sq ft, four at 311 sq ft, and two at about 170 sq ft). The staff report concluded the address signs met size requirements but exceeded the permitted quantity on each building.

"I believe our proposed code update is a maximum of 200 square feet per sign," said Steven (planning staff), describing a code amendment the city has workshopped with boards. He told members that some proposed signs (front 177 sq ft; rear 152 sq ft) would meet the proposed threshold, while the side-facing data-center signs at 311 sq ft would not.

Ad Zimmerman, the applicant's architectural representative with SNHA (a Wolford company), said the signage followed QTS corporate standards and that many signs align with private employee entrances. "It's something that they would typically do on any of their buildings across the country to sort of set a precedent or create their presence in a community," Zimmerman said, and added the design could be adjusted to reduce measured area if needed.

Board members discussed precedent, noting a 2021 approval that allowed two Amazon wall signs at about 297 square feet each. Several members expressed reluctance to approve sizes that exceed the 200-square-foot standard currently being advanced through the code amendment process. Staff noted the code update would require planning commission review and then city council action, a process likely to continue into January or February.

A board member moved to approve Variance 65-2024 conditioned on the applicant reducing the size of the directional signs and ensuring building wall signage does not exceed 200 square feet; the motion was seconded and passed on a 4-0 roll call. The approval is subject to staff confirmation of the reductions; if staff and the applicant cannot agree on the adjustments, the item will return to the board.

The planning staff also explained when variances go to the planning commission versus the Board of Zoning Appeals: parcels zoned Planned Unit Development (PUD) typically come to planning commission for an integrated review, while most other variance requests default to the Board of Zoning Appeals. The board then handled routine administrative matters, including a reminder about a packet-survey as the city moves toward paperless materials, and adjourned at 7:01 p.m.