Pop's Wants Joliet To Bend Its Rules For New Signs

JOLIET, IL — During the past year, Joliet's West Jefferson Street has welcomed a number of new restaurants, including Amigeaux's Sophisticated Street Food and Red Crab Juicy Seafood. One of the next new additions will open at 1866 West Jefferson St., when Joe Haberncorn opens his Pop's Italian Beef and Sausage at the former Boston Market restaurant.

Renovations to the former Boston Market have taken place all summer. Now, Habercorn has asked the city of Joliet's zoning board to approve a sign variance, so he can install wall signs that do not face a public street. The zoning variance is on the agenda's for Thursday's 2 p.m. meeting of the city's zoning board.

According to city documents, Pop's proposes the installation of advertising signs along the east and west building elevations to allow for more exposure to eastbound and westbound motorists along West Jefferson Street.

Joliet's zoning regulations, however, only allow for business signs that face a public street within a general business district.

If the zoning variance gets approved, Pop's said it wants to install a nearly 15-square-foot "Catering, Dine-In Drive Thru" sign on both the east and west elevations as well as a 6.51-square-foot "Pops Italian Beef & Sausage" logo on the east and west elevations.

"Other businesses on Jefferson Street have been granted variances over the recent years for signage that does not face a public way," city documents indicate.

According to Joliet, the four proposed signs subject to this particular variation request would amount to 152.47 square feet of signage at the future Pop's restaurant property.

Joliet Patch first reported on plans to redevelop the former Boston Market property back in January. To read that article, go here.