Planning group, Jack in the Box reach signage compromise

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

During the July 19 meeting of the Fallbrook Community Planning Group, the planning group members and Jack in the Box owner David Beshay reached a compromise on bringing the signage of the Fallbrook restaurant into conformance with community design guidelines.

A 13-0 planning group vote, with Tom Harrington and Kim Murphy absent, approved a request for a site plan waiver. If the county approves the site plan waiver, the outside poster holders would not be subject to signage regulations and the flagpole would be exempt from height limit standards. Jack in the Box will relocate its outside ground monument.

"I think that's a fair compromise," said planning group Design Review Committee Chair Eileen Delaney.

"I'm happy to work with you guys," Beshay said.

Recent renovations led the county to request that the planning group address some items which are non-conforming. "They wanted us to just re-look at it," Delaney said.

Some items did not require negotiations between the planning group and Beshay. "We wanted to make sure that the disco lights were removed," Delaney said.

"We gave up quite a lot of signage in this particular project," Beshay said.

The flag pole exceeds the 30-foot height limit. "It's been there for like 40 plus years," Beshay said.

The smaller grand re-opening flags were temporary, but an American flag flies at the top of the flagpole. "This particular flag is something the community is very proud of," Beshay said.

The planning group did not seek to remove or lower the flagpole. "I don't think that should be an issue," said planning group member Stephani Baxter.

The Design Review Committee and Beshay disagreed on what the planning group initially called marquee signs. "These are poster holders that we have in every Jack in the Box in the country," Beshay said. "They're basically designed to show pictures of the products that we're promoting."

Most of those are on the sides of the building rather than in front of the Jack in the Box. Beshay noted that the signs were a better alternative than displaying that information on the window of the restaurant. "If I place decals on the windows it will present a safety hazard," he said.

The design guidelines limit the height of the monument sign to four feet. "It's two feet taller," Delaney said.

Delaney expressed the planning group's concerns that allowing exceptions would set a precedent. "It causes problems when the next person comes in and says: 'Well, they did it'," she said.

The monument sign will be moved to the left, where it will not be blocked by the communications box. The agreement also allowed additional signs to specify the entrance and exit driveways along with the painting of arrows to guide motorists to the correct driveway.

"The community has been extremely supportive," Beshay said.