Briefly in Lake County

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Updated: February 29, 2012 8:05AM

MERRILLVILLE

Methodist to erect electronic sign

The Board of Zoning Appeals this week voted to allow Methodist Hospitals Inc. to install a 412-square-feet sign with a 120-square-feet electronic message area to be located on its property fronting the Interstate 65 corridor.

The sign will be 24-feet high.

Merrillville attorney Laura Frost, representing the hospital, said the sign is needed to help people traveling on I-65 locate the hospital in the event of a medical emergency. She said the large message area is needed because statistics have shown that the messages have to be easy to read or drivers can get into an accident while trying to read them.

The hospital had previously requested a 565-square-feet sign.

In other action, Menards Inc. received special exception approval to continue selling open trailers at its store at 6300 Mississippi St. Tyler Edwards, representing Menards, said the store has been selling the trailers at its Merrillville location since it first opened at its former site in the 1990s, but a new state law requires the special exception approval if the property is not zoned correctly.

Edwards said there are only a couple Menards locations in the area affected by the new law. The Merrillville location is zoned highway commercial.