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SARB rejects proposed LED letter sign for John’s Battery and Electric, cites downtown design standards
Summary
The Shopping Area Redevelopment Board voted 3–4 to deny a proposed 4' x 8' LED backlit letter sign at 41 N Elm, saying the design does not meet the board’s quality standards for downtown Zeeland even though staff said the sign meets zoning and can be administratively approved.
The Shopping Area Redevelopment Board voted 3–4 on May 14 to deny a request from John’s Battery and Electric to install a 4-foot by 8-foot LED backlit letter sign at 41 N Elm.
Marketing Director deRoo summarized the application and said the proposed sign would rest on legs anchored to the ground for safety and would be powered by existing parking-lot wiring. Board Member VanHoven noted the previous sign had been damaged by a falling tree but the parking-lot wiring could still light a replacement.
SARBfound that "the proposed sign does not meet the quality standards intended to reflect the vision for downtown Zeeland." The board also said it supports John’s Battery and Electric as a business and recognizes the need for signage but determined the submitted design was not compatible with the district vision. Despite that finding, staff noted the sign meets applicable zoning requirements and therefore will be eligible for administrative approval by the City of Zeeland Community Development Department.
The vote broke down with Bult, Dick and Gentry voting yes and Barnes, VanHoven, VanKampen and Vos voting no. The motion to approve the sign failed.
The board discussed the tradeoffs between aesthetic standards and business needs but did not adopt design revisions or conditions for administrative approval. The City's Community Development Department will process any administrative approval available under zoning regulations.
Next steps: no further action by SARB was taken on the item; the administrative approval pathway means the applicant may pursue a permitted sign application with Community Development.
