Ashley Furniture Variance Tabled

Ashley Furniture plans to construct a new showroom near Lighthouse Estates, just north of Milford. The company filed three variance requests with the Board of Adjustments for the new store.

“The applicant is proposing to construct a 30,380 square foot retail building and associated parking lot,” City Planner Rob Pierce said. “The applicant is seeking three variances related to the site plan submission. The applicant is seeking to reduce the number of off-street parking spaces from 153 to 65. The applicant is seeking to reduce the number of loading berths from three to one. The applicant is seeking permission to increase the maximum height of the freestanding sign from 28 feet to 40 feet.”

Edwin Tennefoss with Siteworks Engineering spoke for Ashley Furniture.

“What we are looking to do here is build an Ashley Furniture Store and the reason for the parking request reduction is that Ashley Furniture Store has multiple stores across the peninsula and they have the number of parking spaces they need figured out, so to provide 150 spaces for a store this size just creates a sea of pavement and they are always going to look empty,” Tennefoss said. “A similar store in Millsboro has 50 spaces and it has been adequate. They haven’t had parking shortages. So, to provide 150 spaces, if a parking lot looks empty, people think no one wants to go to that store. When a parking lot is semi-full, people think it is a place they want to go check out.”

As for the loading berths, Tennefoss explained that nothing would be shipped from the Milford location as all items were shipped from a warehouse located elsewhere. The store would be located just pass the Route 1 overpass and Ashley wanted to get a larger sign up that would offer more visibility. The sign would be located in front of the store in front of the parking lot.

“The roof line is at 33 feet and then there is a decorative peak that is 40 feet,” Justin Barnes, an engineer with Siteworks, said. “So, this will actually align more cohesively with the building. That was part of the justification for wanting the sign up. I also want to mention that the parking lot will not be just pavement. We plan to have landscaping and grass as well.”

During the public hearing, several people spoke out against the request.

“Nothing has been discussed as far as the actual nature of this sign,” Greg Sekora who gave an address of Shore Lane, said. “One of my major concerns is will it be illuminated. With today’s light technology, signs anymore produce light with LED which will basically disrupt the neighborhood. When an illuminated commercial sign is positioned 40 feet above the ground, it creates a high angle light source and even though this may may be 800 to 1,000 feet away, there are significant consequences.”

Some of the consequences of the Ashley Furniture sign Sekora mentioned were light trespass, sleep disruption, unwanted light entering homes, specifically bedrooms, disrupted circadian rhythms, leading to insomnia and suppressing melatonin production.

“There was a question asked about the Hampton Inn, which does have a sign out front which looks to be maybe 10 feet high. It is a small sign, and they do a bang-up business over there,” Sekora said. “They don’t require this 40-foot monstrosity and there is no way that something like that would not interfere with the residential neighborhood behind it. We have no issue with the other two variances.”

Chairman Brendan Warfel asked if there were ordinances about sign and illumination. Pierce stated that there were. Barnes stated that the sign would be illuminated but Ashley has strict requirements about lighting. Pierce stated that the sign would be reviewed at the time the building permit was issued and if it did not meet code, the applicant would have to apply for another variance. Barnes also stated that the sign would be facing away from the development.

“The traffic flow during construction, as you know there is only one entrance into Lighthouse Estates,” Rachel Melton who gave an address of Starlight Lane, said. “How will construction affect our traffic flow?”

Warfel stated that was a fair question, especially being in the construction industry himself, but unfortunately the Board of Adjustment could not address those concerns. Melton then asked if the Ashley Furniture building would block the view of Lighthouse Estates.

“Again, that is not really applicable for the variances before you,” City Solicitor Greg Morris said. “The applicant is welcome to respond.”

Pierce stated that Lighthouse Estates would not be blocked by the building as the sign for the development was located to the right.

“I support the Ashley Furniture project overall, because I do think the store is a positive addition to the area,” Julie Morris, who gave an address on Cedar Beach Road, said. “Since it is a furniture showroom, I think there should be some flexibility in the parking, but I am curious. Should the approval be based on the site remaining a showroom based long term. What happens if the business owner adds warehousing or heavier truck traffic if operations change. I feel the city should have the right to revisit the issue.”

Morris did not approve of all the requests, however.

“Where I strongly do not support this application is the 40-foot sign the city just spent a very, very long-time discussing sign size for Stone and Sage and whether a sign was too large there. They ultimately made the homeowner take down tat sign and then to turn around and be completely different with this sign. That was a three-foot sign and this seems inconsistent and unreasonable,” Morris said. “The staff knew in this packet that the sign could negatively impact nearby residential properties and the character of the area. You have multiple residents saying they don’t want it. You have the HOA president here saying the whole neighborhood doesn’t want it.”

Morris told the board that approving the request would be unreasonable.

“I searched for any evidence of the Hampton Inn requesting a variance and found nothing,” Morris said. “I only found evidence of a lot size variance. Therefore, their sign must be compliant with code. The problem that I find with this 40-foot sign is that it will be high enough to rise above the normal screening and be visible to nearby homes, especially if it is lit. This can affect the character of the area. What neighbors see from their property driving in and out, when they are looking outside, when they are riding around with a 40-foot sign above rooftops, trees, fences and the overpass. Everyone would see it from their windows, yards and driving.”

Warfel pointed out that the Stone and Sage request was in a residential neighborhood and the regulations were different. Although this sign would have a neighboring development, the sign would actually be on property zoned as commercial. The City of Milford updated sign ordinances in 2022 and 2025. The Hampton Inn was built in 2010 with different sign ordinances which would mean there would be no variance requested.

The Board of Adjustments approved the parking and reduction in loading berth variances but tabled the sign variance in order to allow Ashley Furniture to provide more details on the illumination of the sign.