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Image courtesy of city of Homewo
This is the sign for the front of the Stanton Optical building at 169 State Farm Parkway in Homewood, Alabama.
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Rendering courtesy of city of Ho
This is the Stanton Optical sign that was approved for the back of the optometrist office at 169 State Farm Parkway in Homewood, Alabama.
Applicants for a sign variance on State Farm Parkway learned at Monday’s Homewood City Council meeting that you can’t always get all of what you want.
Stanton Optical sought variances to permit two wall signs in addition to the city-permitted sign that is on the front of the building at 169 State Farm Parkway, the former FedEx building that faces Wildwood Parkway. The applicant wanted a sign on the side of the building and another on the back to make it identifiable by people approaching from either direction.
But the Homewood City Council wasn’t having it.
“This seems like too many signs to me,” Council President Alex Wyatt said. “I’m not even crazy about the one in the back. I understand the logic … but I certainly don’t see a need for more than that [two signs].”
The council approved one of the two requested variances, permitting the sign that will go on the back of the building, facing State Farm Parkway.
The council earlier heard a request for a variance at 2713 18th Place South, seeking a second sign for each of the businesses in that shopping center, with each being on a group wall sign on the side of the building. The variance asks that each business have a sign beyond its permitted storefront sign.
“The shopping center is kind of L-shaped, and a lot of the businesses are toward the back,” Councilwoman Barry Smith said. “The reason this was brough up was Homewood Gourmet, which is on the very far end of the strip. You can’t really see their sign from their location at the back. This would allow all the businesses, some of which are at the back, to have a bit of presence on the street.”
The council approved the requested variance.
In other action Monday, the City Council:
- Appointed Kirk Mobley to the Ward 5 position on the Library Board.
- Approved funding for a new senior engineering position.
- Agreed to apply for a grant from the Alabama Transportation and Rehabilitation Improvement Program II for access improvements to U.S. 31.
- Approved a maintenance contract for elevators in the Public Safety Building for $20,300.
- Set a bid opening for 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 6 for communication services.
- Approved use of the City Hall Plaza for the Wine 10K on March 2, 2024. The plaza is reserved from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., with the race set to begin at 7 a.m.
- Set a public hearing for 6 p.m. on Nov. 27 for the condemnation of an accessory structure at 2819 Crescent Ave.
- Heard a reminder that there are public hearings on Nov. 6 – two concerning the Piggly Wiggly grocery store and one for Second Presbyterian Church.
- Authorized the mayor to sign a contract to pay the fiscal 2024 appropriations for the Homewood Chamber of Commerce and Red Mountain Park. Each was already approved in the budget.
- Approved a meeting schedule to deal with holidays in November and December. The revised schedule has council committee meetings on Oct. 30, Nov. 13 and Dec. 4. Full council meetings will be Nov. 6, Nov. 27 and Dec. 11. Committees and the full council will meet on Dec. 18. There are no meetings the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas. More schedule changes are likely in January to address New Year’s Day and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
