Politics & Government
Council Approves 'Rothman Solution' To Sign Code
The new mattress store in Creve Coeur had concerns about the ability to put up the signage it said it needed to get the most out of an Olive Blvd. address.
Creve Coeur City Council members approved a revision to sign code ordinances Monday which have been long planned, but came under new scrutiny earlier this month when a new business voiced concerns.
Jay Steinback was pretty clear Monday night. If his company, Rothman Furniture, knew coming in that it would not be able to put a sign on a mattress store in Creve Coeur facing traffic on Olive Boulevard, the company would have found another location.
The Steinback family wanted signage fronting 11353 Olive, and facing Westbound traffic on the busy street, at the store's entrance. Under the original proposed plan, it would have been entitled to one sign on the building, and could have a second sign, but only in a window, something Steinback said Monday works in a city environment, but not in a traffic environment.
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An alternative floated Monday would have allowed the property 2 25 square ft. signs. Creve Coeur Community Development Director Paul Langdon pointed to several businesses in the area, including Bandana's, Qdoba and Dave & Tony's, which have 2 signs which you could argue have questionable value, and severa others, including Gulf Shores Restaurant and Potentials Resale, which could have applied for a second sign but have opted not to do so.
In the end, council members agreed to a revision that reads:
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"Where the use has a storefront facade without the main entrance, the user may allocate a portion of the total gross sign area allowed by this paragraph (50 sq. ft) to one additional sign located on the storefront. No use shall be permitted more than two permanent attached signs..."
Steinback said his team would have to go back and work on drafts to see how the sign percentages would break down. While he said he would have been happy with the ability to put up a 50 square foot sign and a 25 square foot sign, the amendment passed Monday "will put the issue to rest."
The store has been open for several weeks and plans a "grand opening" ribbon-cutting event November 15.
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