Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Signage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves reduced setback for Howes Mortuary sign on State Park Road
Summary
The Travelers Rest Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance (TR2612) to place a 12‑by‑6‑foot sign for Howes Mortuary closer to the road than zoning allows, reducing the required 25‑foot setback to 11 feet; staff recommended approval, noting DOT sight‑distance requirements would still be met.
Chair Jerry Spearman said the board would consider a variance request for Howes Mortuary on State Park Road and called for the staff report.
City staff described the proposed sign as 12 feet wide and 6 feet tall and said the existing parking configuration makes it impossible to meet the 25‑foot right‑of‑way setback. "Staff's conclusion that the request meets the requirements stated herein and recommends the approval with the following conditions," the staff representative said, noting that authorization would be subject to all applicable provisions of the Travelers Rest zoning ordinance and to the conditions in the application.
The staff report reviewed the four variance criteria, observed that past signs along State Park Road have sometimes been located inside the 25‑foot setback for different reasons, and confirmed that South Carolina Department of Transportation sight‑distance standards would not be impaired: "If you were 15 feet back 5 foot high, you can see a very very long way down State Park Road because you're in a right in a and the sign does not prohibit the sight distance," staff said.
Vice Chair Leslie Alexander, who said she had inspected the site, raised no objection. Alexander moved to approve the variance with the conditions that the proposal conform to the testimony and application and comply with the Travelers Rest zoning ordinance; the motion carried on a voice vote.
The board recorded the approval and no public speakers appeared in opposition during the hearing. The decision included the staff‑recommended conditions and preserved compliance with any other applicable sections of the city's zoning code.
