Titusville Board of Adjustment and Appeals Variance No. 23-2026: Starling Honda and GMC Dealership Signs on October 28

The Titusville Board of Adjustment and Appeals will hear Variance (VAR) No. 23-2026 on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. The request is for the proposed Starling Honda and GMC dealerships at 8225 Windover Way. The owner asks for five variances for a flagpole and for wall, monument, and directional signs. City staff recommends approval of two of the requests and denial of the other three. The item is 8.B under New Business on the board's agenda.

The Site and the Applicant

The agenda lists the property as Parcel ID No. 22-35-30-AV-*-65. The staff report says the site is east of Interstate 95 and south of Highway 50 (Cheney Highway). It has frontage along I-95, Windover Way, and Penrod Road. The site is in the Regional Commercial (RC) zoning district. Its future land use is Commercial High Intensity. The application lists the site at 25.94 acres of vacant land.

The report says the site is proposed for two separately licensed automotive dealerships, with access along Windover Way. Matt Stagg of Praxis3 Architecture filed the request as agent for the owner, SAAGH Real Property LLC.

The Five Variance Requests

The agenda and staff report list these requests and the city rules they would vary.

• Variance A, flagpole height. The owner asks for an 80-foot flagpole. Section 28-392(h) limits accessory structures to 24 feet or the height of the principal structure, whichever is less.

• Variance B, wall signs. The owner asks for one more wall sign on the GMC building. Section 32-10(a)(2) allows one more wall sign on a second paved street frontage, but no more than two, no matter how many frontages.

• Variance C, number of ground signs. The owner asks for two monument signs at the Windover Way entrance, one for each dealership. Section 32-9(e) allows no more than one ground sign per development, except as that section allows.

• Variance D, ground sign size. The owner asks for a 200 square foot Honda sign and a 205 square foot GMC sign. For sites over one acre, Section 32-9(a) allows 32 square feet of ground sign area per acre, up to 150 square feet per sign and 450 square feet per development.

• Variance E, directional sign size. The agenda lists two directional signs of about 6.33 square feet each. Section 32-4(a)(6) exempts signs that direct traffic and parking on private property from a permit if each is no more than 3 square feet and carries no more than 20 percent advertising.

How the Board Decides a Variance

The staff report cites Section 34-226 of the Land Development Regulations. The report states that the board shall grant a variance when, owing to special conditions, literal enforcement of the rules would do manifest injustice to the applicant or impose an unnecessary hardship. The report lists eight criteria. In short, they are these.

• Special conditions exist that are peculiar to the land, structure, or building and do not apply to others in the same zoning district.

• The special conditions do not result from the actions of the applicant.

• The variance will not give the applicant a special privilege denied to others in the same district.

• A literal reading of the rules would deprive the applicant of rights commonly enjoyed by other properties in the same district.

• The variance is the minimum that will make reasonable use of the land, building, or structure possible.

• The variance will preserve the spirit of the ordinance and stay in harmony with its purpose and intent.

• Public safety and welfare are assured.

• The variance does not result in a change of use that the zone does not permit.

For each request, the report lists three options. The board may approve it, deny it, or take other action. A motion to deny is to state the criteria for denial.

Staff Recommends Approval of Variances A and E

The staff report, prepared by planner Tabitha Armstrong, AICP, recommends approval of the 80-foot flagpole. The report says the site's location on Interstate 95 and the scale of the project present special conditions. The flagpole would be about 92 feet from the property line. It would remain subject to structural and permit rules.

The report also recommends approval of the directional signs. It says each sign measures about 3 feet, 2 inches by 2 feet, with four directional parts. The signs would direct customers to sales, service, parts, and other areas of the two dealerships. The report says the size and layout of the site present special conditions for wayfinding. It states that the signs meet the 20 percent advertising limit.

Staff Recommends Denial of Variances B, C, and D

Variance B is a 46 square foot owner identification sign on the GMC building. It would be on a side of the building that does not front a public right-of-way. The applicant is not asking for more total wall sign area. Staff found no special conditions peculiar to the property. The report ties the request to desired business identification, not the physical condition of the property.

For Variance C, the report says the code bases the one sign limit on the development, not on the number of businesses. It says manufacturer branding needs are not special conditions peculiar to the land. It states that the property may identify both dealerships within the signage the rules already allow.

For Variance D, the two monument signs would total about 405 square feet. That is below the 450 square foot limit for the development. Each sign would still exceed the 150 square foot limit. The report says the sizes relate to branding and visibility preferences rather than physical features of the property.

How to Take Part

The hearing is a quasi-judicial proceeding. The agenda states that the meeting follows procedures adopted in Resolution No. 24-1997. Anyone who plans to speak on a public hearing item must fill out an Oath Card and sign the oath on it. The cards are on the table near the entrance to the Council Chamber. They may also be obtained from the Recording Secretary.

Those in favor of a request speak first, those opposed speak second, and those with a public comment speak third. The applicant may give a brief rebuttal. Anyone who speaks is considered a witness. Photos, sketches, or documents for the board must be submitted into evidence through the Recording Secretary, and the city keeps them.

The application form asks interested parties to limit contact on this topic to properly noticed public hearings or written communication to the City Clerk's Office.

The agenda states that anyone who appeals a board decision will need a record of the proceedings and may need to make sure a verbatim record is made. Under section 286.26, Florida Statutes, a physically handicapped person who wants to attend should send a written request to the chairperson at least 48 hours before the meeting.

Those who wish to speak on Variance No. 23-2026 must fill out an Oath Card to be heard at the meeting on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., Council Chamber, Titusville City Hall, 555 S. Washington Ave.