The city of Frisco has an ordinance that restricts the maximum height of wall signs on buildings and the maximum percentage of the wall length the sign occupies. The intent of the ordinance is to “discourage the construction of elevated building elements for the purpose of elevating signage,” according to city documents. In order for a variance request to be approved, the applicant must satisfy a certain criteria. The sign must not affect adjacent property; it must have a unique design; it must be needed because of a restricted area or typography unique to the property; and it must also improve public convenience, per city documents.
City staff noted in the report presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission that H-E-B’s request only satisfies two parts of the criteria. The staff did not believe an increase in size would provide for any improvement of public convenience and claimed there are no unique restrictions of the property. For those reasons, staff recommended denial of the request.
The ordinance allows H-E-B to place a 4-foot-tall sign that would take up 54% of the wall length. With the variance, H-E-B can now use a 6-and-a-half-foot-tall sign which takes up 90%of the nearly 37-foot long wall. San-Antonio based Comet Signs is working with H-E-B on signage and submitted a letter to Frisco Development Services outlining the reason for the variance request.
“The new H-E-B store has a setback on the east elevation that positions them behind other retail, restaurants, and residential establishments that is effectively causing the east side of the store to be hidden from street views, and the larger set of H-E-B channel letters provides a substantially greater visibility of the new store in the Frisco Market Center,” Comet Signs CEO Pete Sitterle said in the letter.
After deliberation and a period in executive session, commissioners ultimately agreed to pass the variance, motioning that they believe the applicant meets all four variance requirements.
“When I interpret the fourth criteria item of the ordinance, I do think it substantially improves public convenience,” Commissioner Steve Cone said. “I don’t think in any way shape or form it violates the ordinance. I fully support this request.”
The 111,000-square-foot store will open in the fall, according to a press release.
