William Street signage variance application should be denied

January 7, 2020


Lancaster Zoning Board of Appeals
RE: Rachel’s signage (pole) variance application


Honorable ZBA members:

I am writing to request Board denial of Rachel’s Mediterranean Restaurant application for variance to install a co-location pole sign on property not owned by the petitioner.

The signage would be located on property co-owned by Orville’s and Kulback. Rachel’s legal address is located at 4931 Transit Road (pole sign already exists) and is petitioning to add offsite advertising signage on an existing Orville’s pole sign at 4733 William.

Chapter 50, Zoning, Section 30D.(1) of the Code of the Town of Lancaster requires no sign shall be used to attract attention to a business not available or located on the premises where the sign is located.

If there is any road in the Town of Lancaster that doesn’t need added business attention and traffic, it is William Street; especially at the already overburdened intersection of Transit Road and William Street. I reside in the adjacent subdivision community and witness the traffic issues that exist and hear from neighboring business owners of the ever-increasing number of vehicular accidents in this 600-linear-feet of road that services over 10 business enterprises.

This variance application is similar to a previously denied variance application submitted by Flix Theater – a second pole sign located at an ancillary access road.

The Town often proclaims that ‘public safety’ is of prime concern. This area is already a high-risk area with numerous conflict points resulting in increasing traffic accident rate and/or queuing time.

The ZBA is well within its authority to deny variance application. The applicant created its own hardship and the granting of the variance benefits the applicant’s best interest over that of the community’s.

The variance petition should be denied.

Lee Chowaniec
93 Northwood Drive
Lancaster NY, 14043


c.c. D. Terranova
ZBA Members
Kevin Loftus – Town Attorney
Matt Fischione – Code Enforcement Officer