Moss Marine sign variance moves forward
The Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency unanimously approved a variance for waterway signage for a Beach marina business last week. On Feb. 2, the Beach Town Council is expected to conduct a public hearing and vote on the issue for it to become official.
Moss Marine is trying to increase its allotted square footage for its large bayside sign that is on its dual peak boat barn. Visibility issues and distance were stated impact reasons for the need to keep a sign that was reported to be 325 square feet.
As it stands now, the sign ordinance allows each separate business establishment a maximum of 32 square feet for signage. The subject property has two businesses -Moss Marine and The Big M Casino- and is allowed 64 total square feet. The Big M roof sign has been designated as historically significant.
Town Senior Planner Matt Noble believes adopting a variance that equates to 10 times the allowance for the particular signage for the business shouldn’t set a precedence and that the obstructions and distance should be factored. Town staff recommended the variance due to circumstances surrounding the property.
“I’m comfortable that it is pretty much the minimal to make the point that that is the marina facility given the distance involved from the channel as well as what happens between the channel and the facility itself,” he said.
The Moss Marine sign was said to be 420 feet away from the main channel in Matanzas Pass. Boats that are docked at the business are said to block the view of the sign.
“Sometimes you have a whole series of sailboats at the docks, and you have a lot of obstructions in between the channel and the facility on occasion,” said Noble.
Council is expected to look into particular provisions of the sign ordinance, specifically waterway signage. There is belief it will allow larger signs for existing marina facilities on the waterway.
“I don’t believe when the sign code was adopted that the code really took into account signs such as we are discussing here today,” said Noble. “I think the Town is going to review the sign code anyway for this particular issue marine-oriented signage. These are unique circumstances. Each case stands on its own.”
Sam Ireland, independent sign contractor employed by Moss Marine, presented the case to LPA members.
“The reason we would like to keep (the size of the sign) is that so when the motorized vessels come by they can actually establish where to pull into Moss Marine and where it is located,” he said. “We are just trying to keep the same logo that has been there since the (19)70s as an identifiable marker from the channel.”
Ireland also would like to update the sign, since it is made out of plywood and was stated to be “rotting away” at various spots. Noble said a new sign of the same dimension would be allowable with the passing of the variance.
“Soon, it will become a safety hazard if it gets any more worn than what it is,” Ireland said. “We would like to make it all aluminum so that we would never have it fall apart again.”
The issue related to signage at Moss Marine was said to be pending for three years. A variance was submitted in September of 2013. Changeover in Town staff complicated the issue within the application process.
According to Town records, the Moss family started the original “Moss Marina” in 1969. George Freeman, who called the business a reference icon and a historical marker for many boaters, has owned the business since 1981.
Back in May 2013, Council granted the Big M roof sign to be designated historically significant, but denied the marina business a sign variance for its overall existing signage that exceeds the maximum sign area as described by the Town sign ordinance.
The Historic Preservation Board, an offshoot of the Town’s Local Planning Agency, deemed the roof sign historically significant due to a finding stating it being a “local landmark that is popularly recognized as a focal point in the community.”
LPA member Al Durrett, who owns Fish Tale Marina, believes the barn sign shouldn’t have to be smaller.
“The waterway is completely different than Estero Boulevard,” he said. “In my opinion, it is not hurting anything or setting a precedence.”
One close neighbor of Moss Marine also believes the sign should not be altered.
“This sign ordinance is BS for the Back Bay,” said Beach resident Ed Scott.