A variance may be allowed by the Sign Board of Appeals in cases only involving practical difficulties or unnecessary hardships when the evidence in the official record of the appeal supports all of the following affirmative findings:
(A) The alleged hardships or practical difficulties, or both, are exceptional and peculiar to the property of the person requesting the variance, and result from conditions which do not exist generally throughout the township;
(B) The alleged hardships or practical difficulties, or both, which will result from a failure to grant the variance, include substantially more than mere inconvenience, or mere inability to attain a higher financial return;
(C) (1) Allowing the variance will result in substantial justice being done, considering the public benefits intended to be secured by this chapter, the individual hardships that will be suffered by a failure to grant a variance, and the rights of others whose property would be affected by the allowance of the variance, and will not be contrary to the public purpose and general intent and purpose of this chapter.
(2) The above findings of fact shall be made by the Sign Board of Appeals, which is not empowered to grant a variance without an affirmative finding of fact in each of the categories above. Every finding of fact shall be supported in the record of the proceedings of the Board.
(D) In the case of an appeal for extension of the useful life of a non-conforming sign, the Sign Board of Appeals finds that there is significant useful life remaining in the sign based on recent maintenance and initial capital costs that has not been amortized by the owner or lessee.
(Ord. 03-05, passed 6-17-2003; Ord. 14-08, passed 8-26-2014; Ord. 16-06, passed 12-19-2016)