Burlington Coat Factory is coming to Ceres but when the company applied for a permit for a sign it was too big for the building according to city code. So the company asked for a variance which the Ceres Planning Commission on Monday granted.
The city received and reviewed a building permit application for installation of a new wall-mounted tenant sign but due to its larger size, the Planning Division was unable to grant the request. So the company’s representatives sought out a variance from the Planning Commission.
The store is setting up shop at 1450 E. Hatch Road in the former 99 Cents Only store space which has been vacant since it declared bankruptcy and closed in 2024.
Burlington wants a sign that covers 267.1 square feet of the building. The Ceres Municipal Code limits attached wall signs to one square foot of sign area per lineal foot of primary business frontage and based on the building’s frontage of nearly 123 feet, code only allows a sign of approximately 122.91 square feet.
The applicant said a larger sign is necessary due to the width of the building’s façade, its setback from Hatch Road, and the design characteristics of the Burlington trademarked branding, including the use of predominantly lowercase lettering and a required tagline.
Planning consultant Kelsey George acknowledged that the building is set back from Hatch Road and part of a larger shopping center and that visibility may be reduced compared to properties located closer to the road. However, she noted that the shopping center has monument signage along Hatch Road to draw attention for tenants. George said she was unable to agree with Burlington’s claim that extraordinary conditions exist that present an unnecessary hardship and thus didn’t believe the commission could make all five findings required to legally grant a variance. One of the required findings to be made is that a larger sign on the building is “necessary to preserve a substantial property right enjoyed by similarly situated commercial properties,” said George.
A representative of the sign company with Burlington said both companies respect the city’s code but pressed for the larger signage.
Commissioner Bob Gobble said he didn’t think it “would be that big of a deal to put a bigger sign just because of that façade is so massive.”
After Commissioner R.J. Jammu motioned to approve the larger sign, it was noted the commission was obliged to make the findings.
Commissioner Dorie Perez opined that for finding number one, the building has been vacant for some time.
George said she would not grade the reasoning behind the findings, adding “so you could just make your findings; we’re not going to be like, oh, that’s inappropriate to find it that way.”
When City Attorney Tom Remlinger pressed for additional reasons for the finding a hardship exists or property rights are being violated, Commission Chairman Gary Condit noting the uniqueness of the Burlington brand and that “it’s just not a one word sign, there is something underneath it as well.”
Condit seconded Jammu’s motion with all five commissioners approving the variance for the larger sign.
Burlington Coat Factory began in 1972 when Monroe and Henrietta Milstein opened a single discount coat shop in Burlington, NJ. The founders focused on offering outerwear at prices far below traditional department stores, a model that gained traction quickly. Over the decades the company broadened its merchandise beyond coats to include women’s, men’s and children’s apparel, footwear, accessories, home décor, beauty items and more, reflecting a strategic shift from a niche outerwear outlet into a full-line off-price retailer.
Today, Burlington operates over 1,100 stores across 46 states and Puerto Rico, making it one of the largest off-price chains in the country alongside competitors like TJ Maxx and Ross Dress for Less.
