Beach resort receives sign ordinance variance
DiamondHead Resort has been granted a variance for its business’ “monument sign.” The Fort Myers Beach Town Council unanimously approved the action during a public hearing Monday to allow the applicant to meet the required sign ordinance compliance deadline of Dec. 31, 2011.
The resort property owner and managers requested the variance to allow a commercial identification sign on site that exceeds the maximum permitted height and sign area.
The applicant is proposing to reduce the sign from its current height of 21 feet and 5 inches above the parking lot surface to 10 feet and 7 inches. The sign, considered a “pole sign,” currently does not comply with the definition of “monument sign” that is characterized by “a free-standing sign with internal structural supports where the height from the ground to the highest point on the sign is less than the sign’s greatest horizontal dimension.”
DiamondHead officials are proposing to remodel the existing sign to remove the open space area between the ground and the bottom of the sign. The action will allow the sign to no longer be considered a prohibited “pole sign.” The applicant originally applied for a variance in 2008, but the case never made it to a hearing.
The variance allows an amendment to include a triangular portion extending above the sign and the 10-foot maximum height requirement and adds a condition to require landscape material along the base of the sign.
“This is a very unique situation which we believe justifies the variance,” said Town Zoning Coordinator Leslie Chapman. The Local Planning Agency approved the applicant’s request with conditions recommended by Town staff.
Due to the sign being set back far enough, the lowering of it is not expected to be a visibility problem.
Before the approval, Diamondhead Resort General Manager Neil Hopgood asked Council to approve the request to prevent his company’s hardship and financial burden in replacing the existing sign face. The sign needed to be re-faced two years ago to meet standards.
“This is probably the most important variance request for us because of the money we have already spent in 2009 to re-face the sign. The re-face was approved by the Town and cost several thousand dollars when the current ordinance was shelved,” he said. “We hope the Town will understand we are only trying to alleviate the additional financial burden compared to building a brand new sign from scratch.”