National Comedy Center officials are closed-mouth about the tabling of an area use variance and special permit by the Jamestown Zoning Board of Appeals.

On Thursday, the only response The Post-Journal received about the variance being tabled by the zoning board because NCC officials didn’t send a representative to the hearing was a one sentence email statement from Tom Benson, NCC chairman.

“The sign thing was a misunderstanding on my part and we will be working closely with the city to get this rectified as soon as possible,” Benson stated.

NCC officials have proposed to install two 357-square-foot electronic messaging display signs on the front of the National Comedy Center entrance. Because the proposed signs are almost two and half times larger than the 144-square-foot electronic sign allowed by the city zoning laws, an area variance needs to be approved by the zoning board before they can be installed. NCC officials also need the area variance because the maximum number of these types of signs on a building is one. NCC officials plan to install two electronic messaging display signs. The special permit is necessary because all Level 4 electronic messaging signs require one to be issued.

Whether the signs will be installed by the time the grand opening for the center takes places, which is scheduled for Aug. 1, now comes into question.

During the zoning board meeting Wednesday, Vince DeJoy, city development director — who was asked to attend the meeting when Journey Gunderson, NCC executive director, could not attend — asked the zoning board not to table the request because it will take time to secure permits to install the signs. The next scheduled zoning board meeting is July 11.

On Thursday, The Post-Journal asked Todd Thomas, city clerk and adminstrative services director, what is the protocol to schedule a special zoning board meeting so the variance and special use permit could possibly be approved before next months scheduled meeting.

Thomas said in an email that according to city code the chair, Ellen Ditonto, or any two members of the zoning board meeting can call for a special meeting.

During the zoning board meeting, Jim Olson, zoning board member and retired city officials, said during his 30 years in city government, he cannot remember any time when the zoning board passed a variance request without a representative for the petitioner present. He also questioned the NCC’s petition at this late date, with the grand opening of the future national attraction planned for Aug. 1.

Ditonto said it is not just a custom for a representative to attend the hearing, but it is required.

All six present members of the zoning board, which also included Peter Larson, Patricia Calanni, Richard Hanson and Sally Martinez, voted to table the variance and special permit request.