Clarksville Board of Zoning Appeals Reorganization and Sign Variance Hearings – February 25, 2026
Clarksville Board of Zoning Appeals Reorganization and Sign Variance Hearings – February 25, 2026
The Clarksville Board of Zoning Appeals held its first meeting of 2026 on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at the Clarksville Administration Building. The board conducted its annual reorganization, approved the December 17, 2025 regular session minutes, and heard two sign-related variance requests for properties in the Waterford North shopping center on Veterans Parkway. The agenda listed Kurtis McMurray for Freddy’s and Joey Bates for Bob’s; the transcript records Eddie Williams, Freddy’s franchisee, and Jordan Underwood of B Sign Group as the applicant representatives who spoke.
Reorganization and Approval of Minutes
- The meeting was called to order at 7:01 p.m., and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
- Lois Engelbretson was elected 2026 BZA president; the vote carried with Engelbretson abstaining.
- Kenny Brown was elected 2026 vice president, and Neil was elected 2026 secretary, each by unanimous vote.
- The board approved the December 17, 2025 regular session minutes by unanimous vote after noting the minutes had not been acted on earlier in the meeting.
Discussion Items
V-25-0018 – Freddy’s Sign Variance, 1055 Veterans Parkway
- Staff noted this request and the Bob’s request are on the same parcel and share a parking lot. The proposed new Freddy’s restaurant would replace the former Dairy Queen location. The property is zoned Veterans Parkway Corridor Zone (VPCZ) and is part of the Waterford North shopping center, about 20 acres split into three parcels; the building parcel is 9 acres.
- The request concerned LED/rope lighting to outline the roof edge. The sign ordinance prohibits rope lighting as a sign element, but the staff report concluded the proposed rigid LED strip product was not the type of haphazard lighting the 2019 sign ordinance intended to prohibit. No conditions were recommended.
- Eddie Williams said the lighting is a Freddy’s corporate design standard unless a municipality rejects it; he said denial would change the look but probably would not create a practical difficulty. Jordan Underwood explained the product is rigid LED strip lighting mounted with clips, not flexible rope lighting.
- Board members agreed the product should not be treated as rope lighting under the ordinance. The board voted unanimously to dismiss the variance application, finding no variance was necessary.
V-26-0001 – Bob’s Wall Sign Variance, 1025 Veterans Parkway
- Staff said the proposed Bob’s Furniture wall sign would have a maximum letter height of 6 feet. The ordinance allows 2-foot-tall letters and 3-foot-tall logos, or 4-foot letters and 5-foot logos with a planning director’s waiver. The request is 4 feet above the base allowance and 2 feet above the waiver allowance.
- Staff found no public health/safety issue and no substantial adverse property-value effect. It noted the strict letter-height limit might not create a practical difficulty, but the building’s larger scale could support an appropriately scaled sign. No conditions were recommended.
- Underwood said the larger letters reflect brand standards and aesthetics; two-foot letters would look too small on the 150-inch-tall by 524-inch-wide facade, and the building is about 344 feet from the road. Board members agreed the six-foot letters were appropriate at that distance and scale.
- The board voted unanimously to approve the variance, citing the practical difficulty of using much smaller letters on a large building set far back from the road.
Key Outcomes
- The board elected 2026 officers and approved the December 17, 2025 minutes.
- Freddy’s variance application V-25-0018 was dismissed unanimously as unnecessary.
- Bob’s wall sign variance V-26-0001 was approved unanimously.
- The next regular BZA meeting is scheduled for March 25, 2026, with at least two items already on the agenda.
Meeting Transcript
So anyway, we were up there forever doing that LED and then I said, hey man, you know I quoted this side of the scene, but you know what they've this and that and then he went on and on and so I just wrote it an email I documented here every hour our crew was there and every every trip I made on my weekends to go over there and make sure everything was right and is good and he paid he finally he was like thank you so much for the clear explanation and he understood I was like man aren't you gonna trouble you should walk in there show that I'm not sure exactly like I said it's been quite a while ago but um it was always real nice leading up but then when it came time to hash out us getting paid for the time we were actually I mean I caught quoted but I said you know this might end up being you know like a time and material thing past a certain point I'll let him know that straight up you know from from the jump we just we just kind of butted heads there towards the end but it all Freddie's just a different animal back then when private we got all right well actually no actually I'm not gonna just go word we want or higher well yeah did you do the one of these 10% no there we go now we're working all right all right um so since this this is the first BZA meeting of the year we didn't have one in January this is our reorganization meeting uh so I will call the meeting to order at 701 and we uh will stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic which stands one nation all right uh at this point I'm going to call for a nomination for the 2026 BZA president I nominate Lois Engelbertson all right we've got a motion for Lois to have a second on that second all right we've got three seconds uh we'll give it to Rick uh all right so a motion and a second all in favor all opposed and I'm assuming Lois is abstaining well yeah okay all right at this at this point I will hand it over to Lois for the vice president and secretary vote okay at this time I will accept nominations for the vice president of BZA for 2026 have any motion Kenny Brown is there a second second all in favor opposed and at this point I will ask for nominations for secretary for the 2026 BZA is that currently Neil or yes it is okay I don't want to hug the nomination somebody else I will move to nominate Neil is there a second second all in favor opposed all right uh at this point we'll move on to new business uh the first item we have up is the 2500 eighteen uh this is for Freddie's at 1055 Veterans Parkway I will note um both of these variances that we have tonight are in the exact same parcel so they share a parking lot um public notice was very easy this month so to start with the Freddie's variants uh so the applicant is requesting a variance for the use of rope lighting as a design element of a new Freddy's restaurant which is planned to go in the Dairy Queen location on veterans uh while lighting is covered in division one ninety rope lighting is mentioned and prohibited in division two hundred dealing with signs rope lighting uh is considered something that identifies or attracts attention through illumination uh which falls under the definition of a sign and distinguishes itself from general site lighting uh after contacting the applicant they decided to pursue a variance the property is zoned VPCZ Veterans Parkway corridor zone and is surrounded by other similarly zoned properties adjacent land uses are mostly commercial with some multifamily uh the property is part of the Waterford North shopping center the entire development is around 20 acres which is split into three parcels uh the parcel where the building is located is nine acres and has three total buildings on it uh the building site is a fast food restaurant or was and will be but that is how it's laid out uh so the relevant considerations of the zoning ordinance from article four division two hundred uh rope lighting rope lighting uh in the prohibited time section rope lighting or other similar linear linear lighting with small lights usually in The entire development is around 20 acres, which is split into three parcels. The parcel where the building is located is nine acres and has three total buildings on it. The building site is a fast food restaurant, or was and will be. But that is how it's laid out. So the relevant considerations of the zoning ordinance from Article 4, Division 200, rope lighting. Ropel lighting uh in the prohibited sign section, rope lighting or other similar linear linear lighting with small lights, usually incandescent bulbs or light emitting diodes, LEDs, covered in heavy-duty plastic tubing and installed to outline signs, merchandise, windows, buildings, or building elements where such lighting is intended to be visible from the exterior of the building is prohibited. The applicant is proposing a rope lighting which would outline much of the roof of the building. So the scope of review uh item A, the approval may not be injurious to the public health safety morals and general welfare of the community. The approval would not be injurious to the public health safety or morals. The light itself is not any more bright or distracting than a regular bulb, and the use would not be of any safety concern. Uh the use and value of the adjacent area to the property uh included in the variants will not be affected in a substantially adverse manner. The use and value are not likely to be affected in a substantially adverse manner. The business would be welcome, and the design is standard and recognizable uh with the other locations in the area. Uh filling that space would help the adjacent property values. And the strict application of the terms of the zoning ordinance may result in a practical difficult practical difficulty uh in the use of the property. Additionally, the need does not arise from self-created hardship as opposed to the strict application of the zoning ordinance. The strict application uh would not result in a practical difficulty as most businesses operate without the use of rope lighting. However, uh the type of lighting intended to be excluded or prohibited by the ordinance in 2019 is not this same style of rope lighting. I was there when the new sign ordinance was written. Uh the intent was to prevent lighting from being haphazardly attached around a door or window in a way that was distracting or degrading to the overall architecture. The lighting proposed here is not that and is not the type of rope lighting meant to have been prohibited in the ordinance. Uh if this lighting was a long solid tube, there would be no issue with the design whatsoever. It just happens to be in a flexible rope format. Um but again, the intent was to prevent people from stringing trying to find a polite word. Christmas lights or haphazardly or distractingly um arrayed ropes around certain design elements. This is not what was intended to be prohibited. Uh so there are recommended conditions or commitments. There are none. Uh so the applicant is requesting a variance for rope lighting of a new store. Uh the proposed variants would have no impacts on public health or safety. Use and value should not be negatively impacted. Uh, there is no practical difficulty. However, the type and design of lighting proposed is not the same type that was intended to be prohibited in the ordinance. Uh so you have the map um on the next page, and then you can see on page, I guess it's 456, uh, what this would look like at night with that rope lighting around the top edge of the building. Um you really can't even tell as a rope. Right. It just looks like a straight line of lights. Right. Um if they hadn't told me it was rope lighting, I probably wouldn't have noticed, to be honest. So it actually looks like fluorescent tubes. So that's the report. If the I guess we should have had the applicant come up first. We missed that one, but I don't have a name. Your your name is my name's Eddie Williams. I'm the franchisee for Freddy's for uh the Louisville Metro area, which extends from Shawlersburg through pretty close to bowling green. Uh my address is 105 Rollington Road in Biwee Valley. So um we're our intent is to build a Freddy's air. Actually, we we are going to build a Freddy's air. Um and we think we'll be a great addition to uh Clarksville.
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