Napleton Mazda of Naperville aiming for eyes with 20-foot-tall sign along Aurora Avenue

Napleton Mazda of Naperville aims to attract eyes and cap a major remodel of its dealership with the installation of a 20-foot-tall, monolith-style sign along Aurora Avenue.

The new sign, proposed during a presentation by Lauren Napleton to the city's planning and zoning commission, was recommended unanimously at Wednesday's meeting. It heads to an upcoming city council meeting for final approval.

The commission recommended a variance because the sign's height is double the 10-foot limit dictated by the city. Lauren Napleton defended the height of the sign in relation to its surroundings on the north side of Aurora Avenue between Fort Hill Drive and Ogden Avenue.

"Our current sign is 21 feet, so this will actually be a reduction in the size of that," she said. "We do feel that it's consistent with the other car dealerships on Aurora Avenue."

The current light-colored sign along Aurora Avenue has two posts supporting its 21-foot height. The proposed monolith-style ground sign primarily is black and rectangular with no posts.

Napleton presented pictures of surrounding dealerships with monolith and two-post signs that range between 18 and 20 feet in height. Naperville city employees confirmed the new Mazda sign would be set back far enough from Aurora Avenue that it wouldn't cause visibility issues.

The new sign is part of a remodeling project at the dealership that began in September. The showroom and service department have remained open during the ongoing construction.

"We think it'll bring a refreshed look to our current sign," Napleton said.