Plymouth BZA approves rooftop signs for Bailey's Furniture despite city standards prohibiting them

The Plymouth Board of Zoning Appeals approved a request Tuesday evening to place two rooftop signs on the building at 921 West Jefferson Street in Plymouth, despite city standards that expressly prohibit them.

Calvin Bailey, owner of Bailey's Furniture Store, requested the variance for two lighted signs — one reading "furniture" and one reading "mattress" — each measuring 19 inches high and 8 feet long.

During the presentation, City Attorney Jeff Houin said the staff recommendation was to deny the request for the roof-mounted signs because the proposal is self-imposed and details of the proposed application contradicted the very reason for the request.

"The building has a long, low-profile façade with limited architecturally suitable wall area for prominent department identification," Houin said, citing the applicant's own reasoning.

During the public hearing, Brian Robertson, the new manager of the furniture store, said they are trying to modernize the building and create two separate stores — a furniture store and a mattress store — with separate entrances. Robertson said he also plans to have elegant signage on the 5' x 7' windows.

The BZA expressed concerns about the abundance of additional banner signage that crops up from time to time, as well as the roof signs being lit.

After additional discussion, Brandon Richie moved to go against the staff recommendation and approve the roof-mounted signs, with the condition that the lights be dimmed after store closing and shut off at midnight. The motion passed with a 3-1 vote, with Paul Wendel casting the lone no vote and Richie, Linda Secor, and Art Jacobs voting in favor.