The City Board of Zoning Appeals on Wednesday approved two variances to allow a hotel to replace and alter detached signs that do not meet current setback standards.

Staff described the requests as: reducing the minimum detached-sign setback in the CHD zoning district from 10 feet to 5.7 feet for the primary pylon and reducing the minimum setback in the CH2 district from 10 feet to 2.2 feet for a secondary sign at the rear of the property. Staff noted the rear lot fronts on Interstate 40 and that the property features easements and other site constraints that affect sign placement.

Applicant Randy Ridge said Marriott’s current branding requires a rectangular sign and that the existing secondary sign is about 66 feet tall. Ridge said the proposed replacement will be 35 feet tall and that reusing the existing pole avoids excavation expense. “The height of lights would be diminished by 25 feet,” Ridge said, adding that the proposed signs are not more obtrusive than the existing installations.

Board members discussed sight-lines, existing easements, and the difficulty of placing new foundations in drainage and utility easements. A motion to approve both setback variances carried; the board voted in favor and the motion passed.

The approved variances allow the hotel owner to install sign heads on the existing pylons and to replace the secondary sign with a 35‑foot feature while retaining the existing pole locations, subject to permitting and standard sign‑permit conditions.