Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Signage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board follows ZBA and allows existing LED canopy lighting after sign height reduction
Summary
After a Zoning Board of Appeals decision, the ARB approved retaining existing LED lighting at the 76 gas station at 7 Potomac Ave while lowering and modifying the two-pole sign; applicant said e-ink displays were not feasible and switching technologies would be costly.
The Architecture Review Board accepted a Zoning Board of Appeals decision and approved revisions to the signage and canopy lighting for the 76 gas station at 7 Potomac Avenue, allowing existing LED illumination to remain while requiring removal of two sign panels and lowering the sign from 17.5 to 12.5 feet.
Susanna Herman, consultant for the applicant, said the team researched alternate technologies such as so-called e-ink displays and concluded they are not suitable for U.S. gas-station signage: "It is not something used in The United States at gas stations…It wouldn't be visible for cars passing by," Herman said. Herman added that retrofitting the existing sign to meet the ZBA and building-department requirements to hurricane-proof the structure would cost more than $10,000, while replacing the sign with an alternate technology would be closer to $50,000 according to a local sign vendor.
Owner Amir Elahi emphasized the sign's long-term presence at the location and said the lowered sign will be necessary to maintain visibility from multiple driving approaches. "That sign has been there probably even before me," Elahi said, adding that lowering the sign and removing the panels addresses safety concerns and the ZBA order.
Board members said they would follow the ZBA’s direction and voted to approve the design changes reflecting the ZBA decision. The approval was conditional on compliance with the ZBA decision and relevant building-department retrofits.
