Pat Catan's Proposed Sign Too Large For Westlake

Pat Catan’s craft store's request for a new store sign was tabled recently when Westlake Planning Commission realized the specs for a new sign were too large.

The store, located on Center Ridge Road currently has a sign that exceeds the city code’s size limitations, but that sign was approved years ago when larger signs were permitted in Westlake.

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“Initially I didn’t realize the letters would be larger,” Assistant Planning Director William Krause said, believing the new size could be approved administratively.

“It’s the oversized 'P' and 'C' that triggered it to have to come to planning commission.”

Those two letters are 5’2” tall. Current code limits any letter to 48 inches.

The exception are stores in Crocker Park that are larger that 20,000-sq.-ft. Those signs, which must be 365 feet from the curb, can be 5’ tall.

Pat Catan’s store is 19,950-sq.-ft. but is only 269 feet from the curb.

The new sign is also 200 square feet, double of the current 100-sq.-ft limitation.

“We don’t really recommend approval of this,” Krause said. “What happens is, the next guy down the street wants to know why he can’t get a (larger sign).”

Planning Commission member Daniel Meehan objected to allowing an exception, saying Westalke had worked hard on the sign code and he didn’t feel the city should make any allowances.

Councilman Dennis Sullivan, who sits on Planning Commission, asked if Pat Catan’s was willing to make modifications. A representative for the company said yes, and the item was tabled to allow Pat Catan’s to rework the sign.