TO: Zoning Commission
THRU: Craig Harmon, CZO - Senior Planner
FROM: Demetrios Moutos, AICP - Planner II
DATE: February 10, 2026
RE:Title
Case A26-04 (Taco Bell #30547 Bragg Blvd) - Variance Request
Request to retain multiple building-mounted signs for Taco Bell at 1042 Bragg Blvd (PIN 0437084978000).
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COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
Council District 2 - Council Member Malik Davis
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
This item relates to the City’s FY2025 Strategic Plan through the Mission, Vision, and each of the six goals, primarily through how the City applies development regulations in a predictable, transparent, and business-facing way while balancing public safety and community appearance.
Mission alignment: The variance process is part of delivering “quality and sustainable public services” by administering land development regulations consistently and providing an established avenue for case-by-case relief when an applicant believes strict code application creates an unnecessary hardship.
Vision alignment: Signage decisions can influence how “attractive” and “prosperous” key corridors feel, while the public hearing process supports a “unified” and transparent approach to resolving land use questions.
Goal I - Safety & Security (traffic and pedestrian safety):
• Signage placement and quantity can affect driver attention and corridor readability.
• The Commission’s review framework requires explicit consideration of public safety and welfare in any variance decision.
Goal II - Diverse & Viable Economy (responsive city government; business climate):
• The request is associated with reinvestment/re-imaging of an existing business.
• The variance process is a defined “customer-facing” mechanism that supports a predictable regulatory environment for small and large commercial operators.
Goal III - City Investment Planning (invested today and tomorrow; growth and land use; development review):
• A clear, consistent sign code and variance pathway supports long-term corridor management and reinvestment.
• The review is an example of timely and accurate development/customer review functions.
Goal IV - Live, Work, & Recreate (quality of place; community experience):
• Signage quantity and visibility can influence corridor aesthetics, visual clutter, and perceived character - factors tied to overall livability and community experience.
Goal V - Financially Sound City (fiscal stewardship; efficiencies):
• The variance program is fee-supported for cost-recovery (application fee collected).
• Clear standards can reduce administrative burden and enforcement uncertainty over time.
Goal VI - Collaborative Government (transparent engagement; trust and confidence):
• The case includes required public notice/notification and a quasi-judicial hearing.
• The variance standards require findings based on evidence, reinforcing transparency and public confidence in decision-making.
Executive Summary:
The applicant requests a variance associated with the City’s sign regulations to allow the Taco Bell located at 1042 Bragg Blvd (PIN 0437084978000) to retain the same quantity of building-mounted signs as part of a re-imaging/signage update. The request is tied to the permitted number of building-mounted signs per street frontage under the City’s sign standards. The Zoning Commission must evaluate the request using the variance standards in Section 30-2. C.14.f, based on competent, material, and substantial evidence presented at the hearing.
Background:
Request:
The applicant requests that Taco Bell at 1042 Bragg Blvd retain the same number of building-mounted signs (described by the applicant as signage on multiple elevations, including the front/primary elevation and drive-thru canopy).
Property/Location:
• Address: 1042 Bragg Blvd, Fayetteville, NC 28301
• PIN: 0437084978000
• Existing use: Restaurant (Taco Bell)
Zoning/Land Use Context:
• Subject zoning district: CC - Community Commercial
• Nearby zoning districts shown on the zoning vicinity map include LC, MR-5, and SF-6.
• Future Land Use designation on the FLU map: CSR - Commercial Strip Redevelopment (with other nearby categories, including MDR).
Public Notice/Notification:
Letters are sent to property owners within the required 300-foot buffer as shown on the City’s notification mapping for the case. Additional posting/affidavit materials are included in the case file.
Issues/Analysis:
Applicable Regulations
Sign standards (building-mounted signs):
The sign code provides standards for “building mounted signage” (including wall, window, canopy, awning, and marquee signs). For single-occupancy buildings, the code states that no more than one (1) building-mounted sign (excluding window signs) may be displayed per street frontage, with a limited exception for a projecting sign mounted on a building corner not counting toward the maximum.
Variance standards:
A variance may be approved only upon finding that all required standards are met (including: practical difficulties/unnecessary hardships; uniqueness related to land; harmony with intent/spirit; public safety/welfare and substantial justice). The Commission’s decision must be based on evidence in the record.
What is Proposed (as described in the application materials)
The application materials describe multiple building-mounted sign elements associated with Taco Bell’s branding/sign re-imaging. The applicant’s materials include building sign faces with stated copy areas including:
• 20.74 sq. ft. (Bell logo + “Taco Bell” letters)
• 20.74 sq. ft. (Bell logo + “Taco Bell” letters)
• 9.42 sq. ft. (channel letters on canopy face)
The stated request is focused on retaining the same quantity of signs on the building rather than changing sign area calculations.
Evidence Presented by the Applicant (summary)
In the variance questionnaire, the applicant states, in substance, that:
• Branding signage is a key component of a brick-and-mortar business, and “re-imaging” is an investment in the community and customer expectations.
• Limiting wall signage to one sign per road frontage reduces the ability to maintain Taco Bell’s familiar appearance with signage on multiple elevations.
• The applicant characterizes the issue as related to the newly adopted sign code and requests retaining the same number of signs.
• The applicant asserts the request is the minimum action and that public safety and welfare will be assured.
Required Variance Findings (neutral considerations for the Commission)
The Commission must determine whether the evidence supports each required finding. The following is a neutral framing of how the record may be evaluated.
a) Practical difficulties and unnecessary hardships
• The applicant’s statements emphasize branding continuity and business/customer expectations.
• The Commission may consider whether the described impacts rise to the level of “practical difficulties” or “unnecessary hardships” as applied to this specific property under the ordinance’s variance framework.
b) Hardship results from unique circumstances related to the land
• The applicant’s narrative connects the request to the sign code’s standards as applied to the existing site.
• The Commission may consider whether the circumstances described are unique to the land (location, size, or other site characteristics) versus conditions common to other commercial properties subject to the same sign standards.
c) Minimum action necessary to make possible reasonable use
• The request is to maintain multiple building-mounted signs (i.e., retain the same quantity shown in the submittal).
• The Commission may consider whether allowing multiple signs is the minimum action necessary, and whether reasonable use of the property would still be possible with fewer building-mounted signs while remaining compliant.
d) Harmony with the general purpose and intent; preserves the spirit
• The Commission may evaluate whether the requested increase in the number of building-mounted signs remains consistent with the sign code’s broader purposes (including management of sign intensity, corridor appearance, and avoidance of excessive visual clutter), as applied in this zoning district and corridor setting.
e) Public safety and welfare assured; substantial justice done
• The applicant asserts the public safety and welfare will be maintained.
• The Commission may consider safety and welfare considerations relevant to corridor context (driver attention, visual distraction, and general site/streetscape conditions), and whether granting relief would produce substantial justice in light of the ordinance’s objectives and how the standard applies to similar properties.
Consistency with Area Context and Adopted Plans (contextual, non-determinative)
The Future Land Use designation shown for the subject area is CSR - Commercial Strip Redevelopment, a category generally associated with auto-oriented commercial corridors that may be subject to reinvestment and gradual modernization over time. The request is presented as part of a commercial re-imaging effort, and the Commission may weigh how building signage quantity fits within the corridor’s redevelopment context and the sign code’s intent for nonresidential districts.
Budget Impact:
• Application fee: $1,000.00 (paid)
• No direct budget appropriation is requested through this action.
• Ongoing administration/enforcement remains part of normal departmental operations.
Options:
The Zoning Commission shall take one of the following actions, based on the standards in Section 30-2. C.14.f, Variance Standards:
1. Approval of the application as submitted;
2. Approval of the application subject to conditions; or
3. Denial of the application.
Recommended Action::Recommended Action
No staff recommendation is provided. Commission action is requested based on the variance standards in Section 30-2. C.14.f and the evidence entered into the record at the quasi-judicial hearing.
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Attachments:
1. A26-04 Variance Application (GeoCivix) - Taco Bell #30547 Bragg Blvd
2. Statement of Fees / Proof of Payment ($1,000)
3. Letter of Authorization (property/tenant authorization letter in case file)
4. Everbrite Sign Package / Sign Drawings (Project No. 65507; dated 11/05/2025)
5. A26-04 Zoning Map (vicinity)
6. A26-04 Future Land Use Map (vicinity)
7. A26-04 Aerial Notification Map (with 300-foot buffer)
8. A26-04 Subject Property Photograph
9. A26-04 Surrounding Properties Photographs
10. Culled Mailing List (buffer notification)
11. Affidavit and Sign Package (posting/notice materials as submitted)
12. UDO excerpts as applicable (Signage standards; Variance standards)