Rothman Runs Into Creve Coeur Sign Trouble

Owners of one of the newest businesses in Creve Coeur stepped before City Council members this week to plead their case for signage.

Read: Rothman Furniture Expanding To Creve Coeur With New Concept

Dale Steinbeck, who with his wife Janet owns Rothman Furniture, spoke to lawmakers in hopes of getting a variance for signage they hoped to place in two spots at their new location at near Olive Boulevard and Craig Road, in the former Lenny's Subs space.

According to Rothman President Vicky Smith, the company made the deal to put a mattress specialty store with the belief that it could have a sign facing traffic heading westbound on Olive Blvd., as well as one directly facing the front of Olive. An Imo's Pizza shop a few doors down has the same arrangement.

There are currently a pair of temporary banners on the Rothman property in that same fashion.

But under revisions to city sign regulations that were up for a final vote Monday, Rothman would not be eligible for the same consideration.

Creve Coeur Community Development Director Paul Langdon told council members that Rothman could still have one sign, and then use existing window space for more signage and suggested that the Rothman case, which he called "an unusual circumstance" could go before the City Board of Adjustment for a hearing. When Ward 1 Councilwoman Beth Kistner and Ward 2 Councilwoman Tara Nealey wondered aloud if the sign ordinance could be altered in a way to resolve the situation, Langdon said he did not support changing code to fix a particular situation.

"They have a way to resolve this," Langdon said, "they just don't like it."

Ward 4 Councilwoman Jeanne Rhoades moved to defer final passage of the sign code to the next meeting on October 22 to see if more time to explore options could yield a solution.

But some council members told the Steinbecks, who are also Creve Coeur residents, that they did not expect the code to change.