UnityPoint Health (formerly Trinity Terrace Park) hasn't given up on the idea of using its hospital fronting Interstate 74 to trumpet its "top 100" hospital ranking by a health care analytics firm.
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Editor's Note: The Board of Adjustment at its 5/8 meeting voted unanimously to deny the variance for the larger permanent hospital signs.
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Last month, the hospital filed and then withdrew a variance application to permit the hospital to mount two "temporary banners" on its building touting its ranking by Truven Health Analytics. The hospital needed the variances because of the larger-than-allowed size of the banners and the plan to keep the "temporary" banners up for a year. Temporary banners are normally only permitted for 60 days by city ordinance.
The hospital is now asking for permission from the city's Board of Adjustment for two additional permanent on-premise signs which would have almost three times the square footage of the sign currently on the building exterior fronting I-74. The board is scheduled to hear the request at its Thursday (5/8) meeting.
City staff says it is supportive of the larger square footage for on-premise signs, but allowing three, rather than one, on-premise signs on the same street frontage is a concern and sets a precedent for future sign variance requests. Staff also noted the standard for allowing a variance is a showing of hardship, which isn't present in the hospital's desire to promote itself with the additional signs visible to interstate motorists.
The hospital received the Truven Health Analytics "Top 100" hospital award last July. The Michigan-based analytics firm has been ranking hospitals since 1993 and has even trademarked the term "100 Top Hospitals."
