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Along Rockingham’s busy commercial corridor, Business U.S. 74, the golden arches will live on.

At a meeting Tuesday night, the Rockingham Board of Adjustments and Appeals approved a variance for McDonald’s at 1304 E. Broad Ave. (also known as Business U.S. 74).

Sign Clinic is McDonald’s sign contractor, and made the variance request on behalf of the restaurant regarding its non-conforming sign, said John R. Massey Jr., Planning Director for Rockingham.

“McDonald’s pylon sign is a legal non-conforming sign, which means it does not comply with the city’s current sign regulations,” Massey said. “The sign exceeds both the maximum 35 foot height limit and the 200 square foot sign area limit.”

The city’s sign regulations require non-conforming signs to be brought into compliance with all regulations if the sign is structurally altered.

Sign Clinic proposed lowering the sign height to comply with the 35-foot height requirement, but requested a variance to continue to utilize the existing cabinet/golden arches to avoid the expense of fabricating a new smaller cabinet/golden arches, according to Massey.

The board approved the plan for the altered sign that will keep the golden arches.

For several weeks now, the McDonald’s has been under construction. Owner Jerome Davis said they are remodeling the entire facility, inside and out.

Plans include an indoor play area for the kids, with touchscreen interactive games and sitting area for their enjoyment. A two-lane drive-thru is also being created. Davis said new TVs and updated bathrooms will help complete the new age look.

Also on the board’s Tuesday agenda was a planned apartment complex by Connelly Development NC, LLC, based out of Durham.

One year ago, Connelly was successful in getting the board to approve a conditional use permit for the project. However, construction on the complex did not begin with the 12 months that followed. A conditional use permit is only valid for one year, and it expired. Connelly was back to get a new conditional use permit.

“They still want to pursue the project so they are asking the board to reapprove the proposed development plans, which are identical to those approved last year,” Massey said.

Connelly Development plans to construction of a 39-unit multi-family development, which would be known as Fountain Pointe.

The apartment complex is planned for a parcel of nearly 5 acres on Clemmer Road — directly behind Aldi’s grocery store.

The proposed project includes twenty 3-bedroom apartments and nineteen 2-bedroom apartments, which would be divided into five apartment buildings and a community building.

The property is zoned Highway Business (B-3). That zoning classification allows multi-family developments as a conditional use. Any proposed multi-family development in the city’s jurisdiction that consists of more than 6 units or more than one building requires a conditional use permit.

The board approved a new conditional use permit for the project.

— Editor John Charles Robbins can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 13, or by email at jrobbins@civitasmedia.com.