Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Digital Signs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clifton Park ZBA approves digital readerboard for Baptist church, limits hours and animation
Summary
After reviewing prior town memo and model restrictions, the Zoning Board granted a use variance to Clifton Park Center Baptist Church for an animated/digital readerboard at 713 Clifton Park Center Road, conditioned on digital‑sign restrictions and operation only between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.; vote was 6–1.
The Clifton Park Zoning Board of Appeals on July 6 approved a use variance allowing Clifton Park Center Baptist Church to replace a long‑standing freestanding sign with a digital readerboard, subject to specific restrictions and a voluntary operational window.
Secretary read the application for 713 Clifton Park Center Road: the existing pedestal sign occupies the front property line and the church sought a 15‑foot relief from the 15‑foot front setback requirement (effectively a 0‑foot setback) and, separately, a use variance for an animated/digital sign in an area where those signs are generally prohibited.
Terry Burks, who said he serves on the church board for property and finance, explained practical and outreach reasons for updating the sign: changing letters manually at height is precarious, and digital messaging helps notify the community about services and events. "It's not the safest thing in winter for sure," Burks said of the current manual letter changes.
The board reviewed a 2016 town memo and a set of digital‑sign restrictions that had been circulated — limitations such as text‑only displays with two colors, no flashing/scrolling/moving images, brightness dimming at night, message fade transitions and a prohibition on non‑applicant messages. Several board members noted precedent in town for approving digital signs for houses of worship, schools and firehouses when stricter conditions are applied.
The applicant volunteered one substantive mitigation: the church agreed to operate the digital sign only between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily (shorter than a 6 a.m.–11 p.m. window referenced in the earlier memo). The board’s motion approved the use variance with the digital‑sign restrictions on content and operation, and with the applicant’s hours as a condition. The board voted 6–1 in favor; one member voted no.
Votes at a glance: The board recorded a 6–1 approval on the use variance (6 yes, 1 no); the area/setback item was also addressed in the meeting record with the board establishing the sign location consistent with the applicant’s request for the preexisting pedestal.
What’s next: The church may proceed subject to the specified restrictions; the board’s conditions include message, brightness and time‑of‑operation limits and permit the town to post emergency announcements when necessary.
