By Bob Gaetjens
Record-Courier staff writer
STREETSBORO -- The city may become the home of the first Sonic restaurant in Northeastern Ohio if signs do not get in the way.
During the past month, the board of zoning appeals reduced the number of signs franchiser Kerry Dechant of Aurora says he needs to open the restaurant at Streetsboro Commons, and the planning commission tabled final sign approval last week, pending several questions.
Yellow architectural features, including an inverted half-pipe on top of the building, and a tower with several signs were topics of discussion last week.
Planning commission member Davene Sarrocco-Smith said the proposed Sonic's yellow is not approved in the Streetsboro Commons integrated plan, a zoning tool meant to keep architecture and other features consistent within large business developments.
Dechant said the yellow color is part of Sonic's corporate identity.
Despite the earlier approval of a site plan for the restaurant, planning commission member Jim McIntyre said he recalls approving only the brick color of the building.
"We did not approve the yellow color, which is not mentioned anywhere in the approved colors for that subdivision," he said.
The planning and zoning commission tabled the application until a special meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Streetsboro Municipal Building, 9184 S.R. 43.
Dan Neff, who served as the engineer for Streetsboro Commons, said the city would have a difficult time convincing Sonic to part with its yellow.
"As (Dechant) mentioned, this is Sonic's symbol," he said. "They're not going to change their yellow just like McDonald's isn't going to change their color."
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During a December meeting, the zoning appeals board reduced the number of signs on the building from eight to four. City law allows one building sign without a variance, according to the planning department.
Before approving the building's signs, Law Director David Benjamin advised the commission to examine its December meeting minutes to determine whether the yellow was been approved as part of the site plan approval.
A tower at one corner of the building also was discussed.
Planning commission member John Albaneze stated the city's zoning laws do not permit signs above the roof lines of buildings on "parapets." He said he believes Sonic has proposed signage on a "parapet."
Dechant said he believes a precedent has been set within Streetsboro Commons at both Defer Tire and Wal-Mart, allowing signs to exist above a building's roof line.
"I would just like to know what the difference is between this and (the sign) location at Defer Tire and what Wal-Mart has," he said.
Albaneze said sign approval is done on a case-by-case basis.
Commission member Jean Henzel said newer signs at Kentucky Fried Chicken and Eat 'N Park are located below the roofline.
"We don't have a Cracker Barrel in town because that's what they wanted," he said of the request to locate signs above the roof line of buildings.
Neff said the tower or parapet is part of the building.
Benjamin said he would write an opinion regarding the nature of the tower, whether it's a "parapet" as Albaneze argued or part of the building and could be a place for signage.
But he requested more detailed building plans than he had as of Monday to base his opinion on.