Board approves Culver’s wall and auxiliary signs but tables electronic garden sign over multicolor concerns

The Southfield Zoning Board of Appeals on July 7 approved waivers permitting additional wall and auxiliary signs for a proposed Culver’s at 29785 Telegraph but tabled a request to allow an electronic changeable-copy (ECC) garden ground sign after members raised concerns about multicolor displays and corner-clearance placement.

Planning staff read ZBA Case 26-14 and recommended approval for the wall and auxiliary sign waivers while recommending denial of the garden ground sign waiver, saying the ECC placement would “create a substantial detriment to the public good” and would not be consistent with the zoning ordinance. The staff presentation listed the variances requested: two wall signs not facing a major thoroughfare (106 square feet proposed vs. 89 permitted, a 17-square-foot variance), auxiliary signs exceeding maximum height (7 feet proposed vs. 5 feet permitted, 2-foot variance) and area (43.5 square feet proposed vs. 35 permitted, 8.5-square-foot variance), and an additional ground support sign and auxiliary signs visible from the public street.

Andrew Zalke, owner of the Culver’s on Southfield Road, told the board the proposed ECC display is part of the restaurant’s branding and would show pictures and daily flavors similar to signs at other Culver’s locations. “That’s part of their branding,” Zalke said, adding that other businesses on Telegraph and Southfield Road have comparable signage.

Board members questioned whether the submitted permit materials had proposed multicolor changeable copy. One committee member said the city’s zoning ordinance does not permit multicolored ECC signs and that changeable-color displays at other sites must have been granted waivers. Planning staff said the original materials on file showed a monochrome display and that multicolor had not been proposed previously; the record therefore left the question of the sign’s color and compliance unresolved.

To avoid forcing the applicant to re-advertise the case, the Chair proposed and the board accepted a motion to approve the waivers for the wall and auxiliary signs while tabling the request for the ECC garden ground sign to a date-specific meeting. A committee member moved to approve the wall and auxiliary waivers and table the garden ground sign waiver; another member seconded the motion, and the board voted unanimously in favor. The garden ground sign waiver was tabled to August 11 so the applicant can provide additional documentation and staff can supply more information about the proposed sign.

Staff will provide more information about the proposed sign’s configuration and color, and the applicant indicated they will supply further details. The board took no final action on the garden ground sign at the July 7 meeting; the wall and auxiliary sign waivers were effectively approved by the board’s motion to separate the items.