Meeting Date: December 9, 2021
To: Members of the Heritage Preservation Commission
From: Mikayla Schmidt, City Planner
Title
Request for Signage for Fate Furnishings at the Nelson Building - 507 Division Street South.
Body
Action Requested:
The Heritage Preservation Commission is asked to review and make a motion to approve a 134 in. x 40 in. wall sign and 36 in. x 18 in. projecting sign for Fate Furnishings at the Nelson Building - 507 Division Street South.
Summary Report:
Fate Furnishings is a new store opening in the downtown historic district. The applicant is requesting approval of a wall and projecting sign.
A subcommittee reviewed the wall and projecting sign on December 3, 2021. The subcommittee consisted of Chair Evans, Commissioner Jarman and Commissioner Meehan. Others in attendance of the meeting included Mikayla Schmidt (City Planner), Joni Karl (Fate Furnishings owner and applicant) and Jim Bohnhoff (sign maker/designer). The subcommittee reviewed the wall and projecting sign and agreed it was appropriate for the historic district.
The applicant has applied for a certificate of appropriateness (COA) to paint the front door (the door was painted by the applicant prior to applying for the COA), paint the column to the right of the door and painting/changing the address above the door. These items will all come forward as a separate staff report for review.
Signage Request:
The applicable sections of the Downtown Historic District regulations in the sign ordinance include the following:
1. Placement
Signs shall be positioned so that they are an integral design feature of the building, i.e., signs shall complement and enhance the architectural features of the building. They shall be placed so that they do not destroy architectural details such as stone arches, glass transom panels, or decorative brickwork. Unless other placement is specifically approved by the Heritage Preservation Commission for reasons stated in the Certificate of Appropriateness issued by the Heritage Preservation Commission, signs may be placed only as follows:
(a) At or above the horizontal lintel, storefront cornice, or beltcourse, or above the storefront windows;
(b) Projecting from the building;
(c) Applied to or painted on canvas/fabric awnings;
(d) In areas where signs were historically attached (see Figure 6-3); or
(e) Wall signs for first floor businesses shall be beneath the second floor windows.
Staff Response:
Wall Sign - The sign meets the placement requirements. The updates to the sign will use the existing sign area. The placement of the wall sign does not destroy or block any architectural features.
Projecting Sign - The projecting sign is in an appropriate location and is 8 ft. 6 in. from the ground.
3. Sign Shape
Signs shall be designed to match the historic time period elements. Wall signs shall include a raised rectangular border that sets the sign apart from the building surface or hanging space. Signs shall make use of individual raised letters. Projecting signs may be fabricated in a variety of shapes appropriate to the building or business.
Staff Response:
Wall Sign - The sign meets the sign shape requirements as it contains a raised rectangular border, individual letters and lamp as part of the logo.
Projecting Sign - The projecting sign shape is appropriate.
4. Colors
Sign colors shall coordinate with the building façade to which the sign is attached. A combination of soft/neutral shades and dark/rich shades will best reflect the historical time period. No more than two colors shall be used for the sign letters.
Staff Response:
Wall & Projecting Sign - The sign proposal logo incorporates three colors, Pantone 398C (olive color), Pantone 161C (brown color) and Pantone 632C (colonial blue). The background on both signs will be an “off-white”. Staff has requested the name of the “off-white” that is proposed by the meeting.
5. Material
Signs and sign letters should be made of wood, metal or weatherproof material that is in keeping with the corresponding historic period of the building. Signs that appear to be made of plastic are prohibited. Brackets for projecting signs shall be made of iron or other painted metal, and shall be secured at the top of the sign, and anchored into the mortar, not the masonry.
Staff Response:
Wall & Projecting Sign - Both signs meet the material requirements. All the components will be made of wood or MDO board. The projecting sign will be secured from the top of the bracket and made of iron or other painted metal.
6. Message
The sign message shall be legible and shall relate to the nature of the business. These requirements may be accomplished through the use of words, pictures, names, symbols and logos. Logos, if used, shall be incorporated into signage designs compatible with the Historic District. Logos and lettering shall occupy no more than 60 percent of the total sign area and shall not extend outside the sign borders.
Staff Response:
Wall Sign - The sign meets the message requirements of being legible, relating to the nature of the business and the logo and lettering does not occupy more than 60% of the total sign area.
Sign Dimensions
Total sign area: 3.3 ft. (40 in.) x 11.2 ft. (134 in.) = 37 SF
Logo and lettering: 2 ft. (25 in.) x 5.2 ft. (62 in.) = 10.3 SF
60% of 37 SF: 16.2 SF
7. Lettering
Lettering styles shall be legible and shall relate to the character of the property's use and the era of the building. Lettering on wall signs shall be in a serif font. Wall signs shall contain no more than two lettering styles, and the lettering and any logo shall occupy no more than 60 percent of the total sign area. Projecting signs may utilize a font other than serif. Telephone numbers and websites may be included, provided they are clearly secondary to the primary message of the sign and occupy no more than 20 percent of the total sign area allotted to lettering.
Staff Response:
Wall Sign - The lettering on the wall sign is legible and does not take away from the era of the building. The sign has two lettering styles. “Fate” has a serif-like flare and “Furnishings” is a san-serif font that is the logo of Fate Furnishings.
8. Illumination
External illumination of signs is permitted by incandescent, LED, or fluorescent light, but shall emit a continuous white light that prevents direct shining onto the ground or adjacent buildings. Exposed neon signs shall be permitted when installed inside windows or the interior of the building. With the exception of lighted "open" signs, internally illuminated signs are not permitted. Flashing, intermittent, rotating signs or signs that create the illusion of movement are prohibited. Exceptions to this guideline shall be allowed for public service, time/temperature and theater signs.
Staff Response:
The wall and projecting sign will not be illuminated.
Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of the sign request, pending the color chosen for the “off-white” background on both signs, as it meets the signage criteria in Section 6 of Chapter 34 of the Land Development Code.