Application for Permits and Variances Location of your business is controlled by a local zoning or comprehensive land use code. Most communities have an official, generally in the planning department, to whom you must go to obtain your initial application to construct and place your sign. Usually, the permitting criteria will be very specific, with ample instructions on how to complete the application. Approach a variance by illustrating the benefit the sign will bring to the land use planning scheme , not to the business. For example, if you are in an older building, and seeking to renovate, point out how your proposed sign will contribute to revitalization of the district as a whole, thereby promoting a healthy tax base.
Traffic safety is always a foremost community concern.
If an ordinance, as applied to your sign, would prevent adequate legibility , readability or conspicuity , thereby compromising traffic safety, then the reason for a variance is expanded beyond your immediate communication needs. Almost all jurisdictions will consider a variance if the sign is not adequately sized. Many jurisdictions are amenable to a variance that would permit the renovation or retrofit of a building fa ade in order to enhance a district theme.