Orange County — Board of Zoning Adjustment

VA-03-06-059 — Randy Kopelman

Request: Variances in C-2 (general commercial) zone to erect monument sign as follows: 1) Allow 202 sq. ft. of signage copy area in lieu of 123 sq. ft.; 2) Locate 53 ft. from existing ground/monument sign in lieu of 100 ft. (NOTE: Applicant is removing one (1) ground sign and replacing it with a multi-tenant monument sign to provide identification to the tenants at the rear of site).

Decision: Denied

Hearing: The applicant wants to replace an existing ground sign with a larger ground sign that would advertise 3 tenants. Staff informed the BZA this request was for more signage and the subject site has existing signage that far exceeds today's sign code requirements. In summary, the applicant was requesting more signage above and beyond the excessive signage that was on the site already. The applicant stated he represented Dunkin Donuts, and they needed signage on the road. The BZA stated they could not support the request unless the landlord/property owner agreed to eliminate some of his excessive signage that was existing. The landlord was not agreeable to removing some of his signage. The business owner to the south spoke in opposition. They felt the sign code should be met and this site already has excessive signage, including an electronic message pole sign, a billboard and an oversized pylon sign on I-4. The BZA agreed and felt the request did not meet the variance criteria.