Design Review Board Meeting - November 12, 2025
Design Review Board Meeting - November 12, 2025
The Radnor Township Design Review Board (DRB) held a regular meeting on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the Radnorshire Room. The board reviewed multiple applications for signage, facade changes, and site modifications, and conducted a discussion on zoning code amendments. Several applicants returned from previous meetings with revised proposals.
Consent Calendar
- Meeting Minutes Approval: The board unanimously approved the minutes from the October 8, 2025 meeting.
Old Business
- DRB 2025-65 – Johnny's Pizza (369 W Lancaster Ave): Applicant Brian Unoviac presented revised window vinyl. The board debated whether sign area should be calculated per window panel or as an aggregate, given the planned business (PB) zoning limit of 15% of window area. The applicant calculated 13.87 sq ft of sign area on four panels (total window area 111 sq ft, maximum 16.65 sq ft). The board agreed to treat the four panels as one aggregate window, finding the design acceptable because the vinyl is cut letters allowing visibility. Motion to approve passed unanimously.
- DRB 2025-62 – Nudy's Cafe (600 W Lancaster Ave) – Exterior Color: Applicant Carl Stratton and Ray Nudy returned with a revised paint scheme. The board had previously rejected a full black brick paint. The new plan leaves the brick as-is, paints trim and hardy board in Sherwin Williams Black Fox, and doors/surrounds in Beeswax. The board praised the historical sensitivity. Motion to approve passed unanimously.
- DRB 2025-49 – Radnor Crossing Apts (284 Iven Ave): Neil Hammerschlag reported the previously approved patio was redesigned due to impervious coverage issues. The patio is reduced in size and reoriented, with a gravel fire pit area. Motion to approve passed unanimously.
- DRB 2025-66 – Caliber Collision (392 W Lancaster Ave): Applicant Adair Hernandez returned with a smaller wall sign (placed between windows and door, 13'2" above grade) and a revised ground sign (black background with white lettering). Both meet code size limits. Motion to approve passed unanimously.
Applications for Board Review (New Business)
- DRB 2025-67 – Bright Star Care (336 King of Prussia Rd): Application was withdrawn.
- DRB 2025-68 – Nudy's Cafe (600 W Lancaster Ave) – Signs: Applicant Carl Stratton and Ray Nudy presented a wall sign (16 sq ft) and a ground sign (existing monument, updated with Nudy's logo). The board approved both signs with the condition that the applicant return for parking lot signage and outdoor dining proposals. The board also discussed trash enclosure and landscaping. Motion to approve passed unanimously.
- DRB 2025-69 – Anthony Wayne Movie (111 W Lancaster Ave): Applicant requested a continuation. Motion to continue to December meeting passed unanimously.
- DRB 2025-70 – Belrose (333 Belrose Lane): Joseph Daimler presented revisions to previously approved signage and facade. Changes include: new cedar fence (board requested 6 ft height; board approved 6 ft and contingent approval for 8 ft pending zoning board relief), replacement of railroad tie planters with fiberglass planters, new sign color (dark gray-blue background with white text), removal of two windows/AC unit, addition of applied mullions, copper roof on bay window, and replacement of sconces. Motion to approve as modified (fence at 6 ft or 8 ft contingent on zoning) passed unanimously.
- DRB 2025-71 – Wawa (302-306 E Lancaster Ave): Applicant requested a continuation. Motion to continue to December meeting passed unanimously.
New Business: Zoning Code Discussion
- 6.a. Zoning Code Discussion: The board discussed ambiguities in Section 280-122 regarding wall sign area calculation. The current language has been interpreted as allowing 2 sq ft per linear foot for the first 15 ft, but a new reading suggests only 2 sq ft total for the first 15 ft. The board agreed to recommend amending the language to state "two square feet for each foot of the first 15 linear feet" to clarify the 2:1 ratio. Additionally, the board voted to recommend adding website addresses as permitted content on awning signs and free-standing signs. The recommendations will be forwarded to the township solicitor for drafting and introduction to the Board of Commissioners. The board decided not to undertake a comprehensive code revision at this time, but noted that further ambiguities (e.g., aggregate vs. per-pane window sign calculation in 280-123) may be addressed in future meetings.
Key Outcomes
- Votes: All five applications voted on (Johnny's Pizza, Nudy's Cafe exterior, Radnor Crossing Apts, Caliber Collision, Nudy's Cafe signs) were approved unanimously. Two applications (Anthony Wayne Movie, Wawa) were continued to December 10, 2025. Belrose was approved with conditions on fence height.
- Zoning Code Recommendation: The board voted to recommend two amendments to the township solicitor: (1) clarify wall sign calculation in Section 280-122 to state "two square feet for each foot of the first 15 linear feet," and (2) permit website addresses on awning signs and free-standing signs. The motion passed unanimously.
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for December 10, 2025, at 6:00 PM. Applications due November 19, 2025.
Announcements
- The board acknowledged the holiday season and wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving.
- The December meeting is expected to be longer due to the continued Wawa application.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. Before we get started, just want to make a couple of announcements. When you approach to podium, please uh let us know who you are, the business you represent. Please talk loudly into the microphone so the viewers at home can hear. And if you've got plans, you can lay them out at the table next to the podium. So little business on our end. Does everybody had a chance to review the minutes from last month? Yes. Yes. Okay. Uh Greg, your mic's off. Okay. Do we hear a motion for approval? I make a motion approval of the minutes from last meeting. Second. Okay. All in favor? Aye. Okay, great. Thank you. And uh we have a couple items under old business. And our first one tonight is DRB 2025-65, the application of Johnny's Pizza at 369 West Lancaster Avenue for window vinyl. Hi, Brian. Yep, there we go. Okay. Um anyway, we made some adjustments uh for the door. Let us know who you are. Uh Brian Unoviac science studios. I guess uh representing Johnny's pizza. Shefford shopping center. Uh we reduced the size of the logo on the door. It's 2.35 square feet. Uh the door square footage total. Uh you know, we could get you 15.83 square feet. Uh 15% of that is 2.38. Uh we're below uh the we're below the uh the the actual uh maximum. Uh and then for the windows, uh the window square footage total is 111 square feet. 15% of that is 16.65 square feet. Uh and the actual calculations uh depicted as 13.87 square feet. Again, you know, below the the maximum that we could have. Just for the word to know, this is planned business zoning. So a lot of the businesses are allowed 20 percent, but planned business is only allowed 15 percent of available window space. So don't isn't it calculated for each window? It's the aggregate, right? Well the the problem is if we if we add up the four panels, it gives the uh merchant the opportunity to put uh complete coverage, possibly in uh in one panel or close to full coverage. So we usually look at each individual panel separately. Uh so I think that Brian would have I mean would it be a hardship for your applicant to shrink those down even further so each window meets the 15% criteria? Um we've we've done this in the past as far as uh leaving the other ones blank, and that's you know why I showed that the other ones are not gonna have anything else on the uh but yeah you the visibility there is not very good. Well I mean it's a it's an area where your sidewalks right next to it in a shopping center. So you're nobody's gonna see it from a distance or want to see it from a distant.
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