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Zoning board approves oversized signage for new Kalamazoo County event center on North Drake Road
Summary
The board approved dimensional sign variances for the proposed Kalamazoo County youth/amateur sports facility at 1617 North Drake Road, citing the site's scale, topography and highway frontage; the request passed 6–0. The facility will be funded by a hotel assessment and aims to attract regional tournaments.
The Zoning Board of Appeals voted July 9 to approve signage variances for the proposed Kalamazoo County Event Center at 1617 North Drake Road, allowing large wall signs on the east and west elevations to aid wayfinding for regional visitors.
Jane Ghosh, president and CEO of Discover Kalamazoo and a member of the Event Center Authority, said hotels approved an incremental assessment to fund the facility and emphasized its regional economic purpose: "Currently, youth and amateur sports have about $30,000,000 of annual economic impact in our county... The hotels voted last year for an incremental 4% assessment to fund a new facility." She said the facility will host tournaments that attract visitors driving up to three to four hours and that signage is necessary for orientation from US‑131 and Maple Hill Drive.
Designer Kurt Artemov (AVB) described the site as the northwestern point of the City of Kalamazoo, surrounded by Oshtemo Township, with topography and power‑line easements that limit sight lines; he said the building’s scale and approach speeds justify larger identification signage for safety and navigation.
City staff and board members noted the project’s special circumstances (size, highway frontage, topography) and compared it to prior large projects; staff recommended relief. The board moved and adopted findings of fact and approved the variance with a unanimous recorded vote (6–0). Members noted that site plan and building permits remain required and that signs must meet building‑code and permit requirements before installation.
The approved signage supports the authority’s plan for a regional youth sports facility intended to increase weekend hotel stays and local economic activity while preserving tree buffers toward potential nearby residential areas.
