2005-08-04
Design Review Board - Meeting Minutes
August 4, 2005
Page
1
Design Review Board
Date: August 4, 005
Members Present: Colleen Bruce, William Finch, Douglas Haring
Leah Zambernardi
Members Absent: None
Others Present: None
Recorder: Leah Zambernardi
Ms. Zambernardi called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
1. 495 Cabot Street - Salem Five Bank - Freestanding Sign
Attorney Phil Wysor from Glovsky and Glovsky approaches the Board with a request for
clarification related to a sign approval from March 2005. He states that in March 2005,
the Board approved a freestanding sign at 495 Cabot Street with a condition that the
tenant panels on the sign are opaque and not internally illuminated. Mr. Wysor states that
his recollection and notes from the meeting indicate that the backgrounds of the tenant
panels shall be opaque and not the lettering. He states that the representative that worked
for the sign maker, Batten Brothers, no longer works for the company, therefore they
have no input from him on what the intention of the earlier approval was. He states they
have come back to the Board to get their opinion on what they would like to see for the
sign.
Zambernardi states that her notes indicate that the background of the tenant panels shall
be opaque, however this did not translate into the decision letter. She states that she
asked the applicants to come back to the Board so the Board can determine what its intent
was.
Finch states he does not have a clear recollection of what the Board approved as it was
several months ago. He states that there are others ways of illuminating the sign such as
by exterior lighting in the ground shining up on the sign. Zambernardi contemplates that
having internally illuminated lettering only may be less impactful, with less light.
After some deliberation, members agreed to amend the March 4, 2005 sign approval by
deleting the last sentence of Condition #1 and making the condition that all 8 panels may
have opaque backgrounds and internally illuminated lettering only. The Salem Five
tenant panel will have a blue background with white lettering and yellow symbols. The
other 7 tenant panels will have uniform backgrounds of a light gray color, a uniform
lettering style and blue letters (which will match the blue background of the Salem Five
tenant panel). The lights on the signs shall be shut off each night by 10:00 p.m.
Meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m.