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Bell Shoals Baptist Giant Sign Gets OK

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By TOM BRENNAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 11, 2008

BRANDON - Bell Shoals Baptist Church has permission to erect a 19-foot-tall, 15.5-foot-wide pole sign that will flash electronic messages to passers-by at the side of Bell Shoals Road.

The church sought a variance to county sign regulations because the sign would have been too tall to comply with county rules. Last week, a county land use hearing officer granted the variance.
James Allen Scarola ruled the church could put the sign in front of a new 3,400-seat sanctuary at the northwest corner of Brooker and Bell Shoals roads.

"Allowing the variance would result in substantial justice being done," he said.
Scarola put limits on when the message board can be displayed, between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. The sign must remain dark during the late evening and early morning.

Before Scarola's ruling, residents complained the sign would light up the entire neighborhood, lower property values and set a precedent that would invite more commercialization along Bell Shoals Road.
Scarola discounted the objections, saying there was no "competent evidence" the sign would reduce property values.

"This church is a substantial activity center in the community and has been designed in all respect with a consistent architectural theme to assure community compatibility," he said.

When church leaders asked the county to rezone 29 acres for its new sanctuary, they agreed not to install such a tall sign.

They later requested the pole sign for safety reasons, saying a lower monument sign would block drivers' vision leaving the new parking lots. They also said a pole sign will be less likely to attract vandalism and could be gabled to match the architecture of the new church.
Church officials and neighbors who opposed the sign could not be reached for comment.

Reporter Tom Brennan can be reached at (813) 657-4528 or tbrennan@tampatrib.com.

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