BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS MINUTES

 

APRIL 10, 2006

 

 

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Mickley at 7:00 p.m.

 

MEMBERS PRESENT: Richard Mickley, Alex Kessler, Harry McMannis, Kelly Thornton, Barbara Timmons, Greg Faulkner, Nevin Taylor

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:  There being no additions or corrections, the minutes were approved as distributed.

 

AGENDA ITEMS:

 

Mr. Mickley requested adding discussion of the proposed Code changes to the agenda.  Board had no objections.

 

OLD BUSINESS:

 

1.     Requesting a variance to permit 250 sq. ft. business sign (53 sq. ft. business sign permitted) to be located on the south side of the building for Best Buy, to be located on Coleman’s Crossing Blvd., north of Home Depot; SD-1 zoning district.  Total signage requested for building is 650 sq. ft. as opposed to maximum signage permitted of 300 sq. ft.  Filed by Bear Creek Capital, LLC, 9549 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 (Tabled at March 13th meeting)

 

COMMENTS OF ZONING INSPECTOR AND/OR DESIGNEE:  No comments.

 

COMMENTS OF REQUESTER:  Mr. Steve Kelly of Bear Creek Capital addressed the Board.  This request for variance is for a second sign for Best Buy to be placed on the back of the building.  After discussion at last month’s meeting, applicant submitted drawings with new dimensions.  The request outlines two types of signs which comport to the variance which was granted at the last meeting, which was for a maximum of 500 sq. ft. signage for Best Buy.  One is a 250 sq. ft. sign on the rear of the building without the blue around the perimeter.  The other is a sign that takes the square footage including the blue background.  That sign will be 179 sq. ft. in area.  Applicant is requesting 250 sq. ft. of signage on the back of the building and would like the Board to consider including the blue surrounding the sign.

 

Mr. Mickley recalled that the Board approved a total of 500 sq. ft. for signage at last month’s meeting. 

 

Mr. Mickley drove by the Best Buy at Tuttle Crossing and noted the sign on the back of the Best Buy building, which faces I-270, consists of big yellow letters placed in a row, not stacked.  They are not surrounded in blue or are not placed on a yellow ticket.  Mr. Kelly stated the signage package provided to him by Best Buy includes the letters on the ticket, which is known nationally. 

 

COMMENTS OF CITIZENS:  No comments.

 

DISCUSSION BY BZA MEMBERS: 

 

Mr. Taylor noted as a point of information, the signs are not drawn to scale as requested.  The yellow ticket in the first proposal is actually 267.9 sq. ft..  He arrived at this figure by using an AutoCad program.  The second sign is actually 251.4 sq. ft.   He recommended including the blue surrounding the yellow ticket.  It is more appealing.

 

Mr. Taylor made the motion to approve the request for the field of blue even though it exceeds by 1.6 sq. ft, which is less than 4” on each direction, north and southeast and west for square footage for the backside of the building, seconded by Mr. Thornton and the question put, stood:

 

Mr. Faulkner questioned the fact that the sign takes up about 60% of the back side of the building.  Mr. Taylor stated it looks like that in that corner, but when you take the whole spectrum, it’s not.  Rear elevation of the building is almost 22’.    Mr. Faulkner questioned if a sign that large is needed on the back of the building.  Mr. Kelly stated it needs to be that large for visibility on Rt. 33, and it will be used to identify that building in the group of four as being the Best Buy building. 

 

Ms. McCoy asked if there could be a condition that if this signage is approved, the other three businesses could not have variances for larger signs.  Based on 100’ width of Office Max in the next retail building, they can have 40 sq. ft. on the back of that building.  Is there any guarantee that every business won’t come in and request a variance?  Mr. Kelly stated he has worked as hard as he can to bring Best Buy to Marysville, and feels it means a lot to the center to say there is a Best Buy there.  He believes he would want to scale back the types of signs for the rest of the tenants in that building. 

 

Mr. Taylor noted we’re under 10% of the Best Buy section of the whole back of the building of the 250 limit.  Went from 60% down to 10% margin from where it started.

 

Mr. Kessler  YES  Mr. Faulkner  YES  Mr. Thornton  NO  Mr. Mickley  YES  Mr. McMannis  YES  Mrs. Timmons  NO   Mr. Taylor  YES

 

Variance granted.

 

2.     Requesting a variance to permit 150 sq. ft. business sign (53 sq. ft. business sign permitted) to be located on the east side of the building for Best Buy, to be located on Coleman’s Crossing Blvd., north of Home Depot; SD-1 zoning district.  Total signage requested for building is 650 sq. ft. as opposed to maximum signage permitted of 300 sq. ft.  Filed by Bear Creek Capital, LLC, 9549 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242  (Tabled at March 13th meeting)

 

COMMENTS OF ZONING INSPECTOR AND/OR DESIGNEE:  No comments.

 

COMMENTS OF REQUESTER:  Mr. Kelly withdrew this Request for Variance.

 

COMMENTS OF CITIZENS:

 

DISCUSSION BY BZA MEMBERS:

 

NEW BUSINESS:

 

Mr. Mickley stated that he and Mr. Taylor attended the Planning Commission meeting where the Code changes relating to the Board of Zoning Appeals were discussed.  Recommended changes being forwarded to City Council are as follows:

 

Section 1129.05 – Change to seven (7) members on the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Initial appointments for the two additional members appointed in 2006 shall be one for a three year term and one for a five year term. 

 

Section 1129.07 - Duties of the Board of Zoning Appeals.  Agreed with a super majority vote.  The concurring vote of five members of the Board shall be necessary to reverse any order, requirement, decision or determination ……

 

Section 1129.18 – Action by Board of Zoning Appeals.   Added:  Within thirty-five days after the CONCLUSION OF THE public hearing….  The Planning Commission proposed adding language from the Architectural Review Board Code, “The public hearing may be extended to another date by mutual agreement of the board and the applicant.”  This language was also added to Section 1129.25. 

 

It was noted that Mr. Kraus originally proposed that the quorum be set at four members, then have 2/3 vote of the quorum.  The Board of Zoning Appeals members felt four is too low. 

 

The Public Hearing of Council will be held on April 27, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. 

 

ADJOURNMENT:  There being no further business to come before the Board of Zoning Appeals, the meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.