DRB 4-4-24 City of Beverly Design Review Board
April 4, 2024
Meeting Minutes
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CITY OF BEVERLY
PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES
BOARD OR COMMISSION: City of Beverly Design Review Board
DATE: April 4, 2024
LOCATION: Beverly City Hall, 191 Cabot Street, 3rd Floor,
Conference Room A
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Jon Ouellette, Vice-Chair Rachel Poor, Ellen
Flannery,Associate Planner Jared Contrada, Wendy
Pearl, Michael Barone
MEMBERS ABSENT:
STAFF PRESENT:
RECORDER: Naomi Moca
Chair Ouellette calls the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
1. Applications:
a. Montserrat College, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, MA 01915. Sign: Montserrat
College, 23 Essex Street.
Adam Tessier of Montserrat College is present and shares photos of the existing sign,which is in
disrepair. The proposed design is created by the same designer as the existing sign. The location
will be the same as the existing sign. The Board discusses that the sign is shorter than nine feet
tall and the latch opened with a key, accessing a hinged panel. Tessier says the new sign will
have a sliding plexiglass panel instead of a hinge, and the frame color will be green. The posts
will be natural cedar. The Board discusses that white is a more harmonious color and Tessier
agrees to change the color to white.
Contrada says that freestanding signs in this CC zone require a Special Permit application with
the ZBA. Tessier clarifies that the cedar posts will naturalize to a gray tone, and the composite
wood product that the attached frame is made of will be white. Tessier says that the contents of
the frame are changed approximately once per year for a special event, and the College is
committed to a single graphic. Access to the panel will be locked with a key opening.
Ouellette: Motion to approve the signage for Montserrat College, 23 Essex Street as
presented on March 7, 2024, with the recommendation that the Building
Commissioner issue a Special Permit with the following conditions:
1. that the frame and enclosure color is changed to white
2. the sign height remains the same as the existing sign
3. that the single graphic can be changed as needed
Flannery seconds. Motion carries (6-0).
b. Chanphaly Oak, 83 Hale Street, Beverly, MA 01915. Sign: Colorful Nails, 83 Hale
Street.
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City of Beverly Design Review Board
April 4, 2024
Meeting Minutes
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Business owner Chanphaly Oak is present. The Board discusses that the design is for two signs
to replace the same footprints of the existing signs. The signs are three feet by six feet and the
color scheme is white lettering on a black background, the stars will be gold, and the thin line
will be pink. Flannery asks if it will remain a plastic box-style sign, which is the style of the
existing Morgan McPherson sign. Oak answers that the graphic will slide in the same frame as
the existing sign. The sign will not be illuminated. The Board discusses whether the existing
Morgan McPherson sign was originally approved and was non-conforming. The sign ordinance
does not have an existing nonconforming sign provision. Pearl points out that there are two
primary facades, one on Hale Street and one on Lothrop Street. The Board discusses that it is
appropriate to defer the final decision regarding the second sign to the Building Commissioner.
Flannery: Motion to approve the signage for Colorful Nails, 83 Hale Street as presented,
with the recommendation that the ZBA grant the Special Permit for the
second sign as presented. Seconded by Ouellette. Motion carries (6-0).
c. Manny Janard, 27 Wellman Street, Beverly, MA 01915. Sign: Rebel Coffee, 1
Dodge Street.
Business owner Manny Janard is present and says that he is reusing the existing signs by
wrapping there with vinyl. The graphics of the two new signs are identical to each other and
Sunoco allowed Janard to take over the lease from the Bagel Dudes. The location in Beverly is
the second location of the business, the original site being in Danvers. Barone asks if the original
permit was issued to the Bagel Dudes or to Rob Dana, who is the landlord and owns the property.
Janard says that the original Special Permit was granted to Dana. Barone says it may be
appropriate to research the recommendation for the existing sign and Flannery recalls the Bagel
Dudes sign application but not the outcome. The Board discusses that the application is similar to
the Colorful Nails application,with two primary facades facing two different streets.
Contrada refers to the Bagel Dudes application from May 2021 for two wall signs and one gas
station Pylon sign. The Board discusses modifying the application form to clarify the number of
signs being applied for.
Ouellette: Motion to approve the signage for Rebel Coffee, 1 Dodge Street.
as presented. Seconded by Vice Chair Poor. Motion carries (6-0)
d. Rick Winter, 257 Loring Avenue, Salem, MA 01970. Sign: Purple Sun Moon
Yoga, 240 Rantoul Street, Beverly, MA 01915.
Business owner Rick Winter is present and says that he and his wife currently own Purple Door
Yoga behind Salem Hospital. With the growing popularity of the practice of yoga, the Salem
location is no longer optimal, so the business will be moving to the Beverly location as the only
location. The site is the former location of The Castle Restaurant and Bar. Winter says the sign
will be PVC with vinyl lettering and he has not yet contracted a sign company. The sign will not
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City of Beverly Design Review Board
April 4, 2024
Meeting Minutes
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be illuminated. Ouellette advises that Winter check with the sign company regarding the fading
of the purple lettering. Winter confirms that the sign will be centered.
Ouellette: Motion to approve the signage for Purple Sun Moon Yoga, 240 Rantoul Street
as presented. Poor seconds. Motion carries (6-0).
e. Taku Sushi Bar, 211 Rantoul Street, Beverly, MA 01915. Sign: Taku Sushi Bar,
116 Rantoul Street, Beverly, MA 01915.
Bill Kielbasa of Signarama is present on behalf of the applicant and says the application is to
replace the existing signage of Topp Salad, the previous occupant. The one sign is a projection
sign on one of the pillars of the building, totaling six square feet. The channel letters will be
raceway mounted with illumination. There will be gold letters with black trim backlit by
front-facing lighting. Contrada clarifies that the signs are both in compliance.
Pearl asks if there are signs that do not require review, and Contrada says there are some
instances, such as churches, that do not.
Flannery: Motion to approve the signage for Taku Sushi Bar, 116 Rantoul Street
presented. Ouellette seconds. Motion carries (6-0).
f. Prime Storage, 130 Sohier Road, Beverly, MA 01915. Sign: Prime Storage, 130
Sohier Road.
Bill Kielbasa of Signarama is present on behalf of the applicant and says that Prime Storage
purchased the facility at 130 Sohier Road and the application is to replace the existing channel
letter display with a new channel letter display. The existing sign is 150 square feet and the new
sign will be the same size. The badge logo has a green outline and the sign will be mounted the
same way as the existing sign. The projection will be 10 inches: five inches on the letters and
five inches on the raceway. The Board discusses that it is appropriate for the sign to be large
scale because the building is set rather far back from the road, and that the sign is conforming.
Flannery: Motion to approve the signage for Prime Storage, 130 Sohier Road as
presented. Ouellette seconds. Motion carries (6-0).
g. Manon Curran,Beverly, MA 01915. Sign: The Last Tangle, 715 Hale Street.
Contrada says that he conducted a site visit and that the business owner is aware of the next steps
required. The sign is an A-frame style and the Board discusses the spelling and punctuation
errors. The Board agrees that it is not its role to dictate the content of signs,but as a courtesy, it is
appropriate to let the owner know. There is no vote needed.
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Contrada: Motion to recommend that the City Council issue a permit for the signage for
The Last Tangle, 715 Hale Street as presented. Flannery seconds. Motion
carries (6-0).
2. New Business
a. Tozer Storage
Barone updates the Board that the signage for Tozer Storage at 12 Tozer Road's Special Permit
was issued.
b. Draft meeting minutes
i. March 7, 2024
The members review and offer edits to the March 7, 2024 minutes.
Flannery: Motion to accept the March 7, 2024 meeting minutes as amended. Ouellette
seconds. Motion carries (6-0).
3. Adjourn
Ouellette: Motion to adjourn. Contrada seconds. Motion carries (6-0).
Meeting adjourns at 7:43 p.m.
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