FAIRHOPE, Ala. - The Zoning Board of Adjustments denied a request for a variance from zoning regulations Monday for an additional sign at the new Firehouse Subs business on Greeno Road.

The planning department turned down the request, which Jean Lankford of Lankford and Co. appealed to the ZBA on behalf of their Firehouse Subs tenant at 113 S. Greeno Rd.

The new business occupies part of a building where Movie Gallery was once located across the street from Thomas Hospital.

The applicant sought to place a sign on the south side of the building, in addition to the one facing west on Greeno Road. Movie Gallery had signs in both places, according to records.

Planning Director Jonathan Smith presented the city’s case to the board, recommending the appeal be denied “due to the application not meeting the mandatory criteria established in the Zoning Ordinance for the issuance of an ordinance.”

The staff report Smith submitted to the board stated that “the granting of the variance will confer on the applicant special privileges that are denied by this ordinance to other lands, buildings or structures in the same zoning district.”

Board member Sam Andrews said, “The obvious question is: Movie Gallery had a sign; what’s changed?”

Smith said the Movie Gallery sign was also “nonconforming,” and he could not discover from previous planning directors why the sign was permitted there.

Lankford asked the board for the variance on behalf of Firehouse Subs because such advertising would help in the current economy and because the business had finally located in the city, after thinking about it for several years.

“The Firehouse folks are pressuring us to try and get this done,” she said, before offering a compromise solution involving a smaller unlit sign on the south-facing wall of the building.

“If this was approved, we could have numerous businesses seeking similar signs,” said board member Troy Strunk. “We would set a precedent.”

The board voted 4-1 to deny the request, with Anil Vira voting to approve it. Chairperson Cathy Slagle was absent.

“There was not a person there I don’t think who didn’t want to approve their request,” said board member Debra Green, after the meeting. “But there are guidelines we must follow.”

Green made the motion to deny the request, which Strunk seconded.

Vira said this was the first sign variance request to come before the board in about two years.

The sign ordinance underwent revision several years ago, with the purpose of further limiting the size and height of signs, according to staff.