Zoning board tables dental-office sign variance after extended code debate

The Town of Chili Zoning Board of Appeals on Monday tabled a signage variance application for a dental practice at 4369 Buffalo Road after an extended discussion about the town’s sign regulations and the practical visibility of proposed wall signage.

Steve, a representative who identified himself as speaking for the property and as working with Vital Science, described a proposal for internally illuminated channel-letter wall signs and said the applicant originally included a phone number on one sign when the business opened in 2022–2023. "The phone number was something he wanted to do just for visibility when he first opened back in 2023 or 22," Steve said during the hearing.

Board members and staff reviewed the code’s allowance for one wall sign per building face and noted that placing two wall-mounted signs on the same side of the building would require a variance. Several members suggested alternatives — removing the phone number from the monument or wall sign, moving proposed pediatric-dentistry lettering to a different face, or shrinking a proposed wall sign so it could better align with the code — and encouraged the applicant to balance visibility and code compliance. Members also noted the monument sign may offer greater distance visibility than a wall sign at the building entrance.

At the applicant’s request, the board voted to table the application and continue the matter at the next meeting, giving the applicant time to consult staff and consider options including reducing sign content, relocating a proposed wall sign, or pursuing a revised variance focused on sign size rather than sign count. The board set the next meeting date at July 28 and advised the applicant to coordinate revisions with building-department staff before returning.