ZBA Minutes

MEETING
CITY OF WALKER
ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
Thursday, October 25, 2007
7:00 p.m.

The meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals was called to order by Robert Marz, Chairman at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall 4243 Remembrance Rd., N.W., Walker, Michigan.

Members present: Robert Marz, Chairman; Charles Deshaine; Roger Crabtree; James Hickey; Brian Boelens, Alternate; Beth Rogers and Randy Smith. Member absent:

Tyler Korfhage. Also present: Jeff Nelson, Building Official; and Bonnie Antcliff, Recording Secretary.

Property located at 3002 West River Dr. also known on the tax rolls as 41-13-02-503-002. Hearing requested by CBS Outdoor.

The applicant’s request is for an interpretation of Section 94-406 (8) & (10) regarding the movement of sign components. If the Board interprets that the billboard cannot change faces, then the applicant wishes a variance to upgrade the billboard to a tri-vision.

Robert Marz, Chairman reviewed the site plan and application submitted. No citizen appeared with respect to this application.

Robert Marz stated that the Planning Department is not in favor of this request.

Mike Hugel, CBS Outdoor stated that the ordinance does allow for electronic digital signs. They move and have a 30 second time frame to move. He went on to say that under (10) where it says that no sign or sign component shall move other than minor elements of clocks or thermometers, that was in reference to the highway sign.

Jeff Nelson stated that Section 406 pertains to all signs plus billboards. The requirement for the reader board was added a few years ago and we are in the process of going to the Ordinance Committee and having that section on billboards removed

altogether as far as a reader board is concerned. He went on to say that he did not feel reader boards should be on a billboard at all. There are no signs in the City of Walker that move other than the permitted electronic reader board.

Robert Marz asked how this sign works?

Mr. Hugel replied that it does not scroll and sometimes we have clients that want parts of the sign to move. The tri-vision signs do not scroll. The copy changes mechanically. It moves very quickly. They move about every 6 seconds.

Jeff Nelson stated that we have a requirement for 30 second intervals on the electronic reader boards.

Roger Crabtree asked how many sign changes are we talking about?

Mr. Hugel replied it would be 3 flips every 18 seconds.

Jeff Nelson stated that the first thing we have to do is see if I was interpreting the ordinance wrong. If I am not, then the applicant wants a variance. He went on to say that he interpreted it as being a moving sign. It is not an electronic message board and it has movable parts. That is the way this has been enforced since the ordinance went into effect.

James Hickey stated that it is a detriment to traffic because of people watching that. The Planning Commission decided that we did not want any of these boards or those with illumination.

Mr. Hugel asked if the location had any bearing on this?

James Hickey replied not that much. At the academy on Leonard St we allowed them to have a message board but allotted a minute between message changes and it had to sit back from the road, so it complies with what the ordinance calls for.

Mr. Hugel stated that there are a couple of interpretations or studies on billboards being a hazard to traffic and they have proven that they are not.

James Hickey moved and Charles Deshaine supported the motion that the Building Official’s interpretation of the ordinance is correct.

Motion carried 7 to 0.

Charles Deshaine told the applicant that if he has a case that will help support this request one way or another, we need to see that.

Jeff Nelson stated that the moveable reader boards were driven by the sign companies going to the Ordinance committee. Then they changed the ordinance.

Robert Marz stated that the applicant may want to take this to the Ordinance Committee for review for a change or addition rather than having this Board reject this. The City Planner is not in favor of this as he feels it is a traffic hazard.

Jeff Nelson felt it may be better to have this written into the ordinance rather than have to keep coming for a variance.

Roger Crabtree stated that the ordinance Section 94-413 (7) & (8) states that no billboard shall contain more than one sign panel facing the same direction of traffic on the freeway. No billboard shall contain more than 2 sign panels. It does not say whether they have to be fixed, moveable or otherwise. There are more issues here than moveability.

Mr. Hugel stated that the State does allow tri-vision and LED boards.

Robert Marz replied that would be helpful for the Ordinance Committee.

Roger Crabtree moved and James Hickey supported the motion to table the applicant’s request to upgrade the billboard to a tri-vision until the applicant can meet with the Ordinance Committee.

Motion carried 7 to 0.

James Hickey moved and Roger Crabtree supported the motion to approve the Zoning Board of Appeals minutes of October 11, 2007.

Motion carried 7 to 0.

Roger Crabtree moved and Randy Smith supported the motion to adjourn the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at 7:40 p.m.

Motion carried 7 to 0.

_______________________

Roger Crabtree, Secretary

Government  |  Departments  |  Community  |  Resource Center
Contact Us  |  Search  |  Site Map  |  Home  |  Site Use Policy

The City of Walker, Michigan
4243 Remembrance Rd. NW
Walker, MI  49534
(616)453-6311
City Hall hours: Mon-Thursday from 7:30am to 5:30pm. Closed Fridays
All information © 2010 City of Walker

Contact Us!
If you would like to leave general comments about the website, click here.
Click here to report technical problems with the website.