It’ll be easier for East Rockers to find their way to the gym and then an after-workout stop at the brewery.
That’s because Tuesday night, at its regular Zoom-assisted meeting, the Board of Zoning Appeals approved the placing of two signs at 268 Nicoll St. in the Goatville section of East Rock.
That’s the parking lot adjacent to the mActivity Fitness Center, part of a complex that also houses the East Rock Brewery.
The landlord of both those establishments, Bristol-based East Rock Center, came before the zoners seeking a variance to allow two pole signs of seven and a half square feet each at both corners of the parking lot.
The area is an RM‑2 high density residential zone where such signs are not by ordinance permitted. The total size of the signs also exceeds the six feet allowable. So variances were required.
Lynda Laureano, of the Bloomfield-based artfx sign company, represented the owners on their application and before the commissioners.
“The signs are necessary to promote traffic safety, provide visibility of available parking,” she wrote in the application.
She argued that the proposed signs will “reduce traffic and pedestrian hazards and preserve neighborhood aesthetics.”
The staff report to the commissioners recommended approval, and the commissioner vote for approval, after a brief discussion for clarification, was unanimous.
