Orange County — Board of Zoning Adjustment

VA-00-07-006 — Rcj of Winter Park No. 2, Ltd.

Request: Variances in C-2 zone to replace two (2) non-conforming billboards (size, height, and separation between billboards) with two (2) new billboards that have a separation of 555 ft. and 775 ft. respectively, in lieu of 1,000 ft.

Decision: Approved

Hearing: The subject property is the site of two automobile dealerships (Nissan and Maxima). Although the property is zoned C-2 commercial, it is located in an area that is dominiated by single family, multifamily, and professional office uses. The applicant has two billboards on the subject property. There is a third billboard located just to the north. All three billboards, while relatively modern looking, were built under the previous sign code, and are "grandfathered-in" (nonconforming). The code was amended about a decade ago, after the billboards were built. The amended code reduced the copy area, height, and separation between billboards. The applicant wants to replace the two billboards. The sign code requires that all nonconforming billboards being replaced must now comply with current standards. The applicant is willing to meet or exceed the current height and size requirements, but not the separation requirement. This means the applicant would loose the northern-most billboard in order to comply with the separation requirements. Staff noted that the subject property is visually cluttered. In addition to the billboards, there are signs on the buildings and three on-site pole signs, one of which had been granted a variance with respect to copy area. In addition, there are banner signs extending from the many light poles on the property and balloons. The banner signs and balloons are violations of the sign code. The property is filled with cars. Because of the aesthetic problems associated with the property, the only way Staff could support the request for new billboards was to have the applicant reduce the amount of signage intensity on the overall property. Staff recommended conditions that required removal of the violations prior to permitting of the new billboards, removal of one of the pole signs (one pole sign is a duplicate of another pole sign for Nissan and blocks the view of one of their own billboards), and restricting the billboard fa*