BM 2000-11-02 BOAMINUTES OF NOVEMBER 2, 2000
BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
The Board of Adjustment of the City of Coppell met on Thursday, November 2, 2000, at 7:30
p.m. in the Conference Room of the Fire Administration building, 500 Southwestern Blvd.
In attendance:
David Stonecipher, Chairman
Mark LeGros, Vice Chairman
Jamshed Jamadar, Commissioner
Steven Wright, Commissioner
Robert Chomiak, Commissioner
John Hoppie, Alternate Commissioner
Norman Kressmann, Alternate Commissioner
Robert Turk, Alternate Commissioner
David Terry, Alternate Commissioner
Also present:
Greg Jones, Chief Building Official
David Dodd, City Attorney' s Office
Mary Beth Spletzer, Recording Secretary
Applicants present: Gloria Salerno, 126 Meadow Run, Coppell
Item 1: Call to Order.
Chairman Stonecipher called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
Chairman Stonecipher administered the swearing-in of Commissioner Robert Chomiak.
Item 2:
Approval of Minutes of October 5, 2000 Meeting.
Minutes of the October 5, 2000 meeting were presented for approval. Motion was made by
Commissioner LeGros that the minutes be approved. Motion was seconded by Commissioner
Wright, and a vote was taken. Motion carried, 5 to 0. Minutes approved.
Chairman Stonecipher administered the oath for all members of the audience wishing to speak
either for or against the requests being presented at this meeting.
Item 3:
Public Hearing to consider approval of a variance request from Section 29-4-
3(B)(i) of the City' s Zoning Ordinance, for the property located at 1086 E. Sandy
Lake Road. Ms. Gloria Salerno is requesting a variance to allow a 28 sq. ft. sign,
as opposed to the current 14 sq. ft. sign, allowing her the use of her full business
name, "Gloria's Pizza", on her store front. She was previously allowed, through
the grandfather clause, a 40 sq. ft. sign, until new signage, recently installed by
the landlord, was based on store frontage.
Greg Jones explained that originally the applicant had a sign reading, "Gloria' s Pizza",
approximately 40 sq. ft. in size. He indicated that the landlord, in an attempt to modernize the
signage and provide uniformity among the tenants, purchased new signs. When this tenant
applied for a permit for her new sign, City staff was only able to approve a 15 sq. ft. sign, based
on her store frontage, rather than the grandfathered 40 sq. ft. He noted that the applicant is now
requesting a 28 sq. ft. sign, allowing her the full use of her business name, "Gloria' s Pizza", due
to the business' long-standing presence in this community. He explained that although the floor
plan is an unusual configuration --- a narrow entryway leading into a larger dining room/kitchen
area --- the hardship is somewhat self-imposed by the landlord.
Greg Jones distributed two letters in support of this request, one of which was from the landlord.
Chairman Stonecipher asked for clarification on how the "borrowing" issue works, if Ms.
Salerno is allowed to borrow square footage from the adjacent Town Oaks Cleaners. Greg Jones
indicated that signs are calculated on a 1:1 ratio, and because the existing sign for Town Oaks
Cleaners falls short of using the maximum allowable signage for their frontage, Gloria' s Pizza
could make use of that unused square footage. Discussion centered around the affects on future
tenants, should the configuration of these three lease spaces change.
The applicant was invited to step forward to present her case.
Gloria Salerno, of Gloria' s Pizza, explained that she was the first to occupy a space in this strip
center 17 years ago, adding that her lease space is 2,100 sq. ft., compared with 2,400 sq. ft. for
the cleaners, and 1,000 sq. ft. for the nail salon. She explained that the remodeling that resulted
in the cleaners getting additional frontage was due to the fact that her pizza kitchen in the back of
the store couldn't be relocated because of its specialized plumbing and grease trap. Ms. Salerno
indicated that her primary concern is to restore her full business name, as it has been known for
the past 17 years, on her sign.
Public Hearing was opened to the public. No one spoke in favor of or in opposition to the
variance request.
Public Hearing was closed to the public and opened to the Board for discussion.
Motion was made by Commissioner Wright that the variance be granted to allow a 28 sq. ft. sign.
Motion was seconded by Commissioner Chomiak, and a vote was taken. Motion carried, 5 to 0.
Variance granted.
Item 4: Other Business.
There was no other business presented for consideration.
Adjournment.
Motion was made by Commissioner Wright that the meeting be adjourned. Motion was
seconded by Commissioner LeGros, and a vote was taken. Motion carried, 5 to 0. Meeting
adjourned.
David Stonecipher, Chairman
Mary Beth Spletzer, Recording Secretary