2012-11-01CITY OF BEVERLY
PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES
BOARD: Design Review Board
DATE: November 1, 2012
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Colleen Bruce, Karen Bebergal, Jane Brusca, Rachel Matthews, Bill
Finch
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT:
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Associate Planner Kate Newhall
RECORDER: Kate Newhall
Bruce calls the meeting to order.
1. 152 Conant Street — Partners Health Care at Home — Hazel Wood Hopkins, 2 Phoebe Way,
Worcester, MA 01605
Ms. Hopkins presents the sign proposal for Partners Health Care at Home. This building received a
variance for signage in 2010, which permits up to 55 sf of signage on the third floor of the building.
Hopkins is proposing two wall signs, one facing Conant Street and one facing Route 128. The two
identical signs will measure 10' in length by 5' in height. The internally illuminated blue signs will
feature white text reading, "Partners Healthcare at Home" on one line of text and "Find your strength" in
yellow on a second line of text.
Hopkins states that the sign face is metal with the text and graphics cut out of it so that only the white and
yellow will glow at night.
Finch questions the size of the letters and if they are large enough to read from the street. Mary Bures
from Partners Health Care states that the text is part of the corporate identification and that she prefers to
keep all of the proposed text.
Kathy Jones, the sign fabricator, states that the corporate id mandates that the logo remains horizontal
with all of the text in one line. Bures agrees and adds that the second line of text is the tag line and also
part of the brand.
Matthews states that the fine strokes in the word, "Healthcare" will make it difficult to see.
The Board discusses options to increase the size of the text will keeping the corporate id intact and also
remaining within the parameters set by the variance.
Newhall states that she can write the decision so that the sign team can make some changes to the shape
and size of the sign so that the text size could be increased.
Finch: Motion to approve the sign design as presented while giving the sign team the discretion to make
various changes in the shape of the sign so that the size of the text may be increased, seconded by
Matthews. All in favor.
2. 278 Rantoul Street — Jacob's Corner Pub — Vincent Orlando, 2 Skytop Drive, Manchester, MA
01944
Mr. Orlando presents his sign design. The white aluminum sign will be internally illuminated. The sign
features black text reading, "Jacob's" and yellow text reading, "Corner Pub" in two lines. The sign also
features a photo of a woman holding a pitcher of beer and a hamburger.
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November 1, 2012
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Bebergal asks about the number on the girl's shirt. Orlando states that it should be 88, not 38. He
explains the connection to the number.
Matthews states that story of the significance of the name isn't reflected in the sign. Orlando responds
that the representative from the sign company designed it. He states that he isn't particularly attached to
the design, but he wanted to get something in by the meeting's deadline.
Finch states that he does not like the white background on internally illuminated signs due to their glare.
He also states that they Board shies away from using photographs on a sign because they do not display
very well and make the sign "busy." He wants the sign to have a clear identity and the photo hinders this
Orlando states that he needs his sign to be very different than the previous business' sign because he
wants to change the type of establishment and the clientele that it attracts.
Matthews shares a mock -up of a sign for the business, which she shared with the Board and with Orlando.
Newhall tells Orlando that he can rework his sign design over the next few weeks and come back to the
Board in December. Since it is a continued item there will be no extra charge and he will be placed first
on the agenda. Newhall states that she will send him the submission deadlines and the date of the next
meeting via email.
3. Approval of Minutes — October 4, 2012
Bruce: Motion to approve the minutes as presented, seconded by Brusca. All in favor.
4. New /Other Business
There is no new /other business before the Board this evening.
5. Adiourn
Meeting is adjourned at 7:00 p.m.