LISBON - A local businessman denied permission to erect a permanent sign was given a temporary permit so he can come up with a plan that will meet with the approval of the village zoning board.

The board voted at this week's meeting to deny the variance request of George Summers of Excel Physical Therapy Inc., which operates out of the Vista Center on Vista Drive, off North Market Street.

In late August, Summers placed an unlighted sign at the entrance of Vista Drive to coincide with an open house he was holding for his business. He was told the sign was prohibited without a variance from the zoning board because the area had been rezoned by Village Council from business to residential in 2007.

The sign was removed, and Summers applied for a variance. Board member Cheryl Mills said they denied his variance because the zoning code prohibits business signs from being located off site, and the entrance at Vista Drive is about a quarter mile from the Vista Center.

Mills said they did grant Summers a temporary permit that would allow him to erect the sign at the entrance of Vista Drive. The permit is for 30 days, giving him time to come up with another plan.

One such alternate plan would be incorporating Excel's sign with the Vista Center business sign already located at the entrance of Vista Drive. The Vista Center is allowed to have the off-site sign because the area was still zoned for business when it was erected.

Mills indicated they would consider granting a variance if Summers were to do that. They suggested that a mental health agency also located at the Vista Center also may want to become part of the sign.

"We're trying to be business friendly," she said.

This is a reference to the Brian's Barbershop/Sun Shak controversy over an internally lighted business sign, which the owner, Brian Davis, has refused to turn off. The village zoning code prohibits internally lighted business signs in the downtown historic district.

Davis was cited into court recently for violating the zoning code, and he is scheduled to go trial Oct. 5. Davis was cited for four violations, and the charge carries a possible $100 fine for every day he is found in violation.