DESCO Loses Sign Ordinance Appeal Before Ladue's Zoning Board of Adjustment

Take a good look at these sign boards because you will never ever see them again in Ladue. The DESCO Group, developers of the Colonial MarketPlace petitioned the Ladue Zoning Board of Adjustment requesting relief from the ruling of the City Planning Consultant and the City Clerk, declining to issue permits for these signs.

The Zoning board voted 5-0 to deny the request Monday night.

Ladue’s sign determination is tricky. It takes in the size of letters in an overall determination of the final sign. The final measurements may not exceed 30 inches by 120 inches overall.

DESCO’s proposals were 12 inch lettering (meeting code) on signboards close to 25 foot in overall measurement.

Company President Mark Schnuck had good reason for these signs. “These are signs that you would see on (high end) stores on Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket on the Cape (Cod),” he said.

He had contracted with the company who did the lighting for the Arch and the Old Court house to illuminate these signs.

The center needs larger signs because the stores are located some 140 feet from Ladue Road. Typically, stores along Clayton Road are about 40 feet from the street, and in some cases less than that.

The board faced the dilemma faced by similar communities. “I am sure nearly every merchant in Ladue would want a larger sign,” said board member Liza Forshaw.

Ladue’s city attorney John Maupin created some wiggle room to make the decision possible. He said a special variance could be given in this case only. The board did not bite.

DESCO has spent millions saving a white elephant from the wrecking ball. “We’ve worked a year and a half to bring this flagship development to Ladue. This was going to be the finishing touch to our project,” Schnuck said.

Rather, now DESCO has to got back to the drawing board to find signage that ultimately meets the existing standards for Ladue.

The irony of the situation is thus: the background of the signs are white, just like the color of the brick facade, so other than multi dimensional detailing, or outling, hardly anyone would have noticed any difference at all.

Positive decision for Summers, Compton Wells, PC

The law law firm, with 16,280 square feet of space on two floors at Ladue Road and the innerbelt petitioned the Zoning board to re-align their property entrance to line up with the ramp coming off I-170. Presently the entrance/exit just to the east presents a real traffic hazard.

MoDOT is spending some $200,000 to bring the interchange up to standards and there is no cost to Ladue.

This decision was easier to make. “In all my years on this board, this is one of the truest cases to make. This truly is a hardship for safety,” said chairman Stanley Walch.

The board voted 5-0 to grant the variance and give relief to the law firm.