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BOA adopts sign changes

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Staff

By Rose Laudicina
Staff Writer

CARRBORO – The Carrboro Board of Alderman voted unanimously Tuesday night to adopt a resolution amending a sign ordinance that could enable the developers of the 300 East Main project to put up additional signage for their retailers and hotel, pending a public hearing on the matter.

Commercial signs were previously limited in size by the amount of linear street frontage of a building.

The new amendment applies to properties in the downtown district zoned B1-C or B1-G and allows master signage plans for multi-use developments to be considered as part of the project’s conditional-use permit.

Developers from the 300 East Main project approached the board of aldermen last month about amending the town’s sign ordinance, saying that regulations limited the development’s ability to advertise their tenants. Additionally, developer Laura Van Sant of Main Street Properties told the board that because of regulations the parking deck would not have adequate signage, making it difficult for people to locate it.

However, echoing previous concerns, board member Jacquie Gist expressed some reservations regarding the changes.

Gist said she was concerned that if passed, the resolution would allow the development to place an obtrusive sign for the project’s Hampton Inn and Suites hotel on top of the three-story building.

Mayor Mark Chilton said he shared Gist’s concerns.

“I just want to make sure we are not leaving the door open for them to emblazon Hampton Inn on the top of the hotel,” he said.

“They know they are not getting a sign on top of the building,” board member Dan Coleman said.

Both the town’s planning board and appearance commission reviewed the resolution prior to the meeting and provided comments to the board for their consideration. Each group told the aldermen that after reviewing the old ordinance, it was clear that it needed to be revised and that guidelines needed to be constructed to be more in line with the goals for development in Carrboro.

In addition, the groups said they didn’t believe the proposed amendment to the ordinance would solve issues with the ordinance’s lack of structure.

“Including master signage permits into the [conditional-use permit] process could be problematic,” appearance commission Chair Thomas Wiltberger said. “We do not suggest moving forward with this tonight.”

While board members agreed that the sign ordinance is in need of revision, they also acknowledged it would take a significant amount of time to make those revisions and set guidelines, which is something they can still do after approving the amendment.

“The entire reason we are considering this is because we have one project that exists,” Coleman said. “Bearing that in mind, it puts us in a position to simplify what we do tonight.”

At the Tuesday night meeting, the board’s last meeting before summer recess, Van Sant spoke to the board about why she felt they needed to pass the resolution before they went on summer break.

“I agree… the sign ordinance needs revision,” she said. “But we’re planning to open in late April, so there is some sort of urgency to at least get some process going.”

Board member Lydia Lavelle agreed.

“We need to give the hotel and 300 East Main what they need to move forward,” she said.

By adopting the resolution, the board ensured that master signage plans may be approved as part of the project’s original conditional-use permit or as a minor amendment to the permit, but a public hearing must be held for minor amendments to the signage plan.

A public hearing has been set for Sept. 25 to discuss the proposed modification to the conditional-use permit for the 300 East Main master signage plan.

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