Dutch Bros and Busy Bees Head to Hunt Highway as Town Weighs a Taller Sign
Dutch Bros Coffee and Busy Bees are the first two tenants confirmed for a six-space commercial center on Hunt Highway in San Tan Heights, at 2515 E. Hunt Hwy. — the southwest corner of Hunt Highway and Village Lane. One of the last details to settle before the businesses can open is how tall the center's sign out front can be.
The Town of San Tan Valley Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed a comprehensive sign plan for the center at its Aug. 24 meeting. The commission took no vote and won't take one — under the town's zoning ordinance, that decision belongs solely to the zoning administrator, Community Development Director Gilbert Olgin. Nick Johnson of ES&A Signs & Awning filed the application on behalf of the property owner and tenants.
Why the Commission Doesn't Vote on This
A comprehensive sign plan sets one signage standard for an entire multi-tenant property rather than handling each business separately. Town staff bring the plan to the commission for a work session where commissioners can ask questions and give feedback, and Olgin then issues the final decision. Olgin told the commission that a change in state law moved site plan and plat approvals from planning commissions to administrative review — trading a multi-month committee process under the county for a much faster staff-level review, which matters here because the tenants are trying to open soon.
The Sign Height Question
The center is allowed two monument signs — one on Hunt Highway and one on the collector road to the east — each sized for all six tenants. Everything else in the plan follows town code; the requested sign height does not. There's a discrepancy in the record over which code section applies: the applicant's narrative cites a section allowing an eight-foot, 48-square-foot monument sign, and argues the requested 10 feet falls within the 25% variance the code permits without further justification. Olgin told the commission the applicant has since scaled the request back to eight feet, but said current code caps it at five feet. Olgin said his review will weigh what the code allows, what already exists along that stretch of Hunt Highway (he noted the nearby Home Depot and WinCo signs, both over 20 feet, were approved years ago under older county rules with no real limits), and how neighboring towns like Queen Creek, Chandler, and Gilbert handle similar requests.
Commissioners used the work session to argue the town's five-foot standard is too restrictive, citing traffic speeds on Hunt Highway and the risk that small signage gets missed by drivers. One commissioner, a former business owner, said undersized signage had contributed to a past business of his closing. Olgin agreed the code may need revisiting and said he can adjust the standard within roughly 25% on his own authority; anything beyond that requires a written justification.
What Else the Plan Covers
Dutch Bros' wall signs were permitted before the town's sign code took effect July 1 and will be honored as-is. Busy Bees' signage meets current code with no exception requested. The plan includes design guidelines for the center's four not-yet-named tenants, which may need amending as those spaces fill. Digital signage is allowed under the town's current code.
What Happens Next
The sign-height decision now rests with Olgin as zoning administrator.
Sources: SanTanValley.com, “Dutch Bros and Busy Bees Head to Hunt Highway as Town Weighs a Taller Sign” (Sept. 4, 2026)