Planning Board - Regular Meeting

So, all right. [Music] The I'll explain how this works real quickly. We have a public meeting here where we talk about the case. We get all the facts. You guys explain things to us. Mason gives us some information. If there was anyone in the audience, they would be able to chip in too. And then after that um little exploration of the facts of the case, we then have a private board review of the case where we look at the applicable law and the standards we have to apply and sort of kick it all around and then we hopefully make a decision. So I start by reading a little bit of the legal notice and that is that we're well first let's call the meeting to order and uh do a roll call. Roger. Rick present. present. Um the first thing on this agenda is request for an area variance to install a 4ft by 32inch business sign at Ridge Road Imports. And this is 2025 East Shore Drive. The applicant is looking for permission to install a sign that would be 46 feet away from the center line of the public road where 80t is typically required. Um, first thing we uh we typically do in this case is I have Mason explain the case. We open the public meeting and then Mason will explain the case to everybody and we can ask him questions and then after we get that, you guys get the chance to tell us a little bit more whatever we don't learn from Mason. So Mason, do you want to give us a rundown? I do. Give me 30 seconds here to just find the right spot on my map here. So, um, essentially they want to put a new business sign in the front yard, but, um, we ran into the issue of

they have the weird property line because of the rightway for 34 being so large. So, their original request was, I think, what, 46 ft. So, that would put it somewhere in according to the picture. So here's the driveway out road. Here's the So here's the middle of 34 yellow. Here's the driveway out and the the existing business signs over here. And then I think the new proposed sign is going to go somewhere here. But the issue is that it would be outside of the applicant's property in in the right way of 34. So, um, with that, I think we just have to figure out where within this area here would probably make the most sense where you guys would be interested in relocating to because it has to be in your property. Like, they can't grant you a variance to be in the state's highway property. So, it has to be so this solid line is your property line and it has to be 80 foot back from this line but within your property. So, I think location somewhere in here. You should be pretty. Does that make sense? Clear. Yeah. I think you know the thing is we obviously we have to vote and consider everything but first we need to know what it is that you'd like given that what you asked for initially isn't possible. So the question is, as Mason said, where do you want to be and how far off the center line of the and I can measure to some accuracy here on my my computer program. So if you guys want to like come up, you can point, we can kind of figure it out and you can measure where you think you'd want it to go. Um Mason, can you show us where the existing sign? I sure can. That on that map?

Yep. Give me one second. Let me just open this and I can do it even better. I think they're probably on the road. Yeah. And so are a lot of other people. I mean, are they I mean, we haven't heard yet. Are they proposing to leave those there? Ah, that's we'll have to ask ask Jason because that's a good question. And what what was that? Are those existing two signs? Are they going to stay put? As far as I know, and you know, I don't know how that shakes out since they've now been discovered to be out of their property. I don't I you know I the the DOT hasn't I think the DOT would be the ones that would have to pick the issue with that and I to my knowledge they have not but I think you know as far as you guys should be aware they are in the DO's property so if they ever did have an issue I think they could not get down correct but but you know if it's been there it's probably been there for how many years long long time so and that could have all you know that could have changed it could have originally been a narrower right of way for the highway road. Yeah. Yep. I'm going for it right here. So, so here's Let me move I can move back just a little bit to get a little bit better of a view. So, the current property line the current property line kind of goes kind of follows the edge of the asphalt. So right across and then so everything Oh. Yep. So then as long as you're behind. Let me go back just a smidge more here. As long as you guys stay behind. So your property line will extend pretty much from the corner straight across. So as long as you're back there. So if we can be let's say this car and have it higher so you can

see it. Sure. I don't think height is so much an issue that we would have to probably go six foot high just to get the car or you could back it up a little bit from the car so that because you've got a good bit of space there. I don't I think there's just certain square footage requirements which you're going to be in. I don't think height factors into it. And my only issue or concern of that would be if you're too high and too close to the road, you block people coming down the road, but you're so far back, you know, and if you keep looking, there's a pretty good size hill right there. Right. So, can you can you pan down and go down towards the Dollar General? They got a sign. We'll see what that looks like. I think that one's high, right? Dollar General's wide open. Yeah, I just wanted to I'm trying to remember what the sign was. Yeah, they had visibility from both directions. And I don't know. I was going to say I don't know what they're they might have a different property boundary. They might be like closer to the you know to the road than his property is. But that's that's pretty I mean they're pretty far back and that's a pretty high sign cuz you're I mean you drop down there from the road that's probably like a twoft drop foot and a half drop as you drop down into the driveway there and then that's almost as tall as the building. So let's go to the property and we between the grass and the black. Okay, hold on. Let me get myself. So we don't have to have an exact location. We just said they would be south of the blacktop in that stretch of land. You can decide how far away from that car to go, right? Well, we could give you if it's beibility. So, so yes, but no. And we'd have to if it's how do I say this? So, if he's beyond that 80 ft, fine. Doesn't matter. He doesn't even

need to be here for a variance. But if he's going to be shorter than the 80 feet, which you probably will and you you want it exactly, we need I mean I'll I'll measure it on here. So this is exact to like a couple feet and we can just use that. It doesn't have to like they don't have to send a surveyor out there. So if they can just poke hook your finger there to where they want it. Just point approximately where you think you want. Well, that's too far back. You're not going to see it. So it's really going to be like right on the edge of the grass in the black top. Sure. And then up high enough so that it can be seen. So you have to stay as close. So here's that corner of the asphalt right there. You want it as close to that as possible. Correct. Right there. Okay. All right. That's easy. No, that's fine. Could be 4 by eight, right? I think right now it's 11 square ft. I want to say it can go up to 8. Well, it could be 32 ft. Or is it a total that you can have because they already have some signs? Uh, I think that might be it. Well, that was my question. Is this one business or two businesses? One business, but there sales of service, but it's all one business. Okay. Because the existing sign doesn't say what services you offer. It just says original. I don't say fail problem which is why I want to get another sign of it right repair auto repair I read it as two businesses under one umbrella I think the property can only have so many signs I suspect the property can only have so much signage it it seems to me when I first saw this that the best place to put any more information is on the existing sign because the existing sign already says Bridge Road Imports And then it needs to

say auto sales, service, and repair. So everybody cuz right now cuz you don't just you sell American cars, too. What's that? You sell not just imports, right? We sell. So So auto sales. Yeah. Auto repair. But the sign doesn't this sign right here doesn't say what services you offer. Exactly. Yeah. Which is why I'm trying to get another sign. Right. So I was wondering should does it depending on if another sign gets exceeds the area. Yes. Could it be one sign that says what you do? Yeah. Yeah, I saw that. Yeah. Okay. So, I think it's a commercial sign district. So, let's see what we got here. Commercial signs shall not exceed 48 square ft. Residentialbased business signs, which that is not multifamily dwelling, town homes, mobile parks, town houses, developments. So, not that. Shopping center not that. So, I think it's just you can't exceed 48 square. But I believe Jack had a point there and I I think it's a total of all the signs. So it would be the current sign that you have and then the new one couldn't exceed 48 square ft. Do we know how big the current sign is? Even though it's technically not on their property. Yeah. So I don't even know how that would shake out because technically it's not even on their property. But it is their sign and it's Okay. Yeah. All right. So, back to the original question. You just wanted to know if you could increase the size a little bit. Yes, I would think you probably could, but you'd have to just double check and see if it's We'll have to check with Scott and Heather and see

if it's if it's 48 per two of them, we'll have to calculate what's there and then what you have remaining and you can increase by what you know the difference of what's remaining would be. So going up higher or in wider as long as it's within base of this conversation 48 ft higher is probably you know my sense is maybe the best so hold on hold on hold on the height of the sign off the ground is different than the height of the actual sign. So the height of the actual sign, the height and the width would be what they use to calculate the square footage. No concern if it's 6 feet off the ground or 8 ft off the ground. Bring it up above the cars and you go six or seven feet. That doesn't factor into the 48. Correct. Correct. 48. I I think that's what it is. Double check with Scott and Heather and you might luck out and it might be 48 per sign and then you can make a huge sign. So I I'm pretty sure when we did the Dandy Mart, it was a cumulative total. And I think when they just did the Dunkin Donuts, it was cumulative as well. So that's the only reason that I'm My my suggestion would be unless you're in a giant rush to let this sit for a month. We'll adjourn the case and get Scott and Heather to go out there and figure out how big the other sign is and figure out whether you can even add this one given those other signs and if so, how big you can make it. I mean, if the other one was, you know, 40 square feet, then you'd be able to add another eight. If the other one's 30, you can add 18. I mean, you can you assuming that that's the way they're going to count it. that would be immediately sign.

No, it's probably not. And it'll probably be me instead of Scott or Heather, but I can if you guys don't mind waiting until next month, I'll certainly come out and we can measure it and help figure. Well, the other thing is Roger's point, you know, you might say, well, maybe we should just add something to the existing sign. As long as the highway department's not complaining to the cost of doing that, it would be considerably more. Could you attach it to the base so you have the existing sign then it's stuck to the pole or Well anyway it's up to you. We can do this or we can you can take some time and see if you want to be have a bigger sign right 34 away plus you probably would have some issue like to just update that sign since it's in the right of way I rather not correct I was going to say maybe just don't call the and say, "Hey guys, you know, right [Music] something new." Sure. Sure. Yeah, that's that's probably a good point. We We still need to know how big it is, though. Yeah. No, I can still go out and measure and then we can calculate all. But I mean, we could still give them this variance and then they'd have to come back for another variance. I would just I kind of agree with Jack. If you guys aren't in the biggest rush ever, maybe just wait and it'll it'll only be at most one more month because it's not, you know, that we hold the public hearing at the same time that they grant the approval. So, I'll come out and measure sometime in the interim and then we'll get it all hopefully. We'll have more people here for the next hearing, too, which would mean you'd have better chance of getting all the votes. But no, I think as long as you're not in a big rush, it's quick. We just we'll adjourn this hearing. You'll check all the rules out carefully to see whether whether the ones in the road right away count, how big they are. You know what

you can actually do. You can talk about the height of the sign. You can have a bigger and higher sign potentially. And then you can figure out exactly where you want it. Um we have that where we want the question I think is how big how big we can make the new sign will be. And then we'll decide how high. Sure. Sure. And then All right. Well, I move we adjourn the hearing. Do I have any votes? I agree. All three nothing. We're adjourning the hearing. Public hearing wise. That's just off the table. I don't have to worry about that. I mean, this is Well, this we've opened the public hearing. Oh, yeah. No, I guess we But we've now adjourned the public hearing and we don't have to do another one next month. We can we I don't think we have to do another notice. We just have to reopen the hearing. Is that right, Judy? Unless it significantly changes. Unless it significantly changes. Okay. And 46 ft to 51 ft is not a huge huge change. Okay. But if the sign gets like three times as big, then that would be then you might have to do it. So that's a that's a good point. And I guess that's just that only matters to me and her. So we can make sure we get it out. Yeah. Oh, yeah. That's what that's what I meant. Just adjourning it. Yeah, we're just adjourning. And then you're just reopening so we don't have to send out another notice and do all the Very good. Unless it's real different. Unless it's real different. Sure. All right. Cool. Well, that's it. Thank you guys. And I will be in touch. Uh, I guess Craig, I'll be I'll just coordinate with you. Or do you want me to coordinate with you or how? It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Can I just show up whenever I have time? If you see me out measuring, it's me. Yeah.

Yeah. No, you don't need to call. Yeah, that would be great. And you know what? When you have mine, I'll give you I can measure tomorrow. Or if you want to do that, Kelly, any um anything else coming down the road? Anything? Or should we just adjourn the meeting? Close the meeting? Appreciate it very much. Well, then we're all done. This will be it for next time. Yes, this will be it. So, all in favor of all. Thanks very