Orange County — Board of Zoning Adjustment

VA-01-06-048 — HESS EXPRESS GAS STATION

Request: Variances in C-2 zone to erect pole sign as follows: 1. 58 ft. in height in lieu of 30 ft. 2. Within 100 ft. of residentially zoned property to the north (abutting Interstate 4) (NOTE: Existing 58 foot tall on-site pole sign to be removed).

Decision: Approved

Hearing: The property is the site of the former Raider's Relics business. It has been redeveloped to a Hess gas station. There is an existing 58 foot tall pole sign still displaying Raider's Relics. It was installed at a time when the Zoning Code allowed pole signs 50 feet in height (the remaining 8 feet is in violation of code). This existing sign is 228 square feet in size and is not lighted. The new pole sign would be 100 square feet in size and be lighted. A separate Hess pole sign was erected on Fairbanks Avenue frontage, but it has limited visibility due to visual blockage by I-4. The extra height is needed as their marketing is I-4 eastbound traffic. Hess agreed to reduce the height to 52 feet as this would be the minimum needed for adequate visibility from I-4. Hess representatives met prior to the public hearing with representatives from the Little Lake Fairview Homeowners Association. The association was concerned with lighting of the tall sign in that it could cause a visual impact to the homeowners along Little Lake Fairview. The parties agreed upon a compromise, which was formulated into the conditions approved by the BZA. There was no opposition.