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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - City Council - 06/01/2009 • 4 4 south Charles E. Hefter, City Manager AGENDA SOUTH BURLINGTON CITY COUNCIL CITY HALL CONFERENCE ROOM 575 Dorset Street SOUTH BURLINGTON, VERMONT REGULAR MEETING 7:00PM Monday, June 1, 2009 1) Comments and Questions from the public(not related to the Agenda). 2) Announcements and City Manager's Report. * 3) Second reading of amendment to the Sign Ordinance-Temporary Signs, section 19; second reading of same. * 4) Requests for re-consideration of sign ordinance regulations. * 5) First reading of Amendment to Use of Parks Ordinance; Permit Skateboard use on Recreation Path; schedule Public Hearing for Same; suggest July 20, 2009. * 6) Council appointments to Regional Boards and Committees * 7) Consideration for capital equipment refunding notes for Public Works-Storm Water Services and for Police Department. * 8) Consideration of approval process for first and second class beverage licenses to eliminate requirement for Liquor Control Board signatures. * 9) Review agenda for Development Review Board meeting to be held on June 2, 2009. * 10) Review and approve minutes from regular City Council meetings held May 18, 2009. * 11) Reconven e as Liquor Control Board to consider Liquor License for renewal: Orchid Restaurant, 5 Market Street. 12) Sign d isbursement orders 13)Adjourn Respectfully Submitted: Charles after, itytf\Aa gel r 575 Dorset Street South Burlington, VT 05403 tel 802.846.4107 fax 802.846.4101 www.sburl.com oal 01itlIDU . PLANNING & ZONING AGENDA South Burlington Development Review Board Tuesday, June 2, 2009 7:30pm Regular Meeting City Hall Conference Room, 575 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 1. Other business/announcements: Administrative Site Plan Approval Report 2. Minutes of May 19, 2009. 3. Final plat application #SD-09-24 of Steve Hackett for a re-subdivision (boundary line adjustment) of two (2) lots, 140 and 150 Kennedy Drive. 4. Site plan application #SP-09-43 of Heritage Flight to amend a previously approved plan consisting of: 1) constructing a 9,450 sq. ft. Customs & Border Patrol Protection facility, 2) reconstruction/renovating an existing 65, 150 sq. ft. maintenance hangar, 3) constructing a 40,850 sq. ft. hangar all connected to the existing Pratt&Whitney hangar, and 4) installation of two (2) 25,000 gallon and one (1) 12,000 gallon above ground fuel tanks. The amendment consists of dividing the project into two (2) phases to include site modifications. Phase Ito consist of: 1) constructing a 9,450 sq. ft. Customs & Border Patrol Protection facility, 2) reconstruction/renovating an existing 65, 150 sq. ft. maintenance hangar, and 3) installation of two (2) 25,000 gallon and one (1) 12,000 gallon above ground fuel tanks. Phase II to consist of constructing a 40,850 sq. ft. hangar all connected to the existing Pratt &Whitney hangar, Aviation Avenue. 5. Site plan application#SP-09-44 of City of Burlington, Burlington International Airport to: 1) construct new taxiway `G' and taxiway 'G' extension, 2) reconstruct taxiways 'B', 'C' and 'K', 3) relocate taxiway `J', 4) replace all airfield taxiway lighting with LED fixtures, and 5) construct new stormwater treatment system for de-icing fluid from Cargo Apron adjacent to taxiway'C', 1200 Airport Drive. 6. Conditional use application#CU-09-03 of Magic Hat Brewing Co. to install a 14 foot high fence, 5 Bartlett Bay Road. 7. Site plan application#SP-09-41 of Magic Hat Brewing Co. to amend a previously approved plan for a 57,137 sq. ft. light manufacturing facility (brewery). The amendment consists of: 1) adding a 14 foot fence, and 2) reducing size of digester facility from 5,850 sq. ft. to 5,806 sq. ft., 5 Bartlett Bay Road. 8. Preliminary plat application#SD-09-25 and final plat application #SD-09-26 of 1080 Shelburne Road, LLC for a planned unit development to: 1) raze an existing building formerly used as a restaurant, and 2) construct a 16, 528 sq. ft. retail building, 1080 Shelburne Road. Resp ctfu y Submitt aymond J. Belair Administrative Officer 575 Dorset Street South Burlington, VT 05403 tel 802.846.4106 fax 802.846.4101 www.sburl.com IVO south Charles E. Hefter, City Manager May 28, 2009 Chair and City Council South Burlington, VT 05403 Re: Council appointments to Regional Boards and Committees To All Members: The following appointments to regional Boards are up by June 30. Metropolitan Planning Organization(MPO); Two-year tem Representative: Denis Gravelin(willing to serve) Alternate: Steve Magowan Regional Planning Commission(RPC); Two-year term Representative: Marcel Beaudin (willing to serve) Alternate: Vacant Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD); Two-year term Representative: Paul Stabler(willing to swerve) Alternate: Mark Boucher Please discuss and make appointments. Sincerely, C / Charles Hafter City Manager 575 Dorset Street South Burlington, VT 05403 tel 802.846.4107 fax 802.846.4101 www.sburl.com CCMPO Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization 110 West Canal Street Suite 202 May 11, 2009 Winooski, VT 05404-2109 t 802 660 4071 f 802.660.4079 www.ccmpo.org Mr. Charles Hafter info@ccmpo.org South Burlington City Manager 575 Dorset Street South Burlington,VT 05403 Dear Chuck: According to the bylaws of the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization, "The term of the representatives and alternates will be for two years beginning July 1st. Communities whose beginning letter falls between M through Z shall appoint a representative in odd numbered years." We would ask you to please have your legislative body take action to appoint/reappoint a representative and alternate to the CCMPO for a term of two years beginning July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2011. We ask that you complete the enclosed letter of appointment and return it to us via our new address at 110 W. Canal Street, Suite 202; Winooski, VT 05404- 2109 by June 5, 2009 Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Sincerely, Bernadette Ferenc Executive Assistant Attachment cc: MPO Representative: Denis Gravelin Alternate Representative: Steve Magowan Communities working together to meet Chittenden County's transportation needs Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization 110 West Canal Street, Suite 202 Winooski, VT 05404-2109 Ladies & Gentlemen: This will inform you that at our meeting of we voted to appoint the following as our representative to the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization for a term of two years commencing July 1, 2009 and ending June 30, 2011 MPO Representative: Name: Address: Home Phone: Work Phone: Email: Fax number: Alternate Representative: Name: Address: Home Phone: Work Phone: Email: Fax number: Very truly yours, Name and Title Municipality CHITTENDEN SOLID WASTE DISTRICT CSWD 1021 Redmond Road • Williston, VT 05495 802-872-8100 • Fax: 802-878-5787 • www.cswd.net May 8, 2009 Chuck Hafter City of South Burlington 575 Dorset Street South Burlington, VT 05403 Dear Chuck: As you may be aware the term for the representative and alternate member representing your community on the Chittenden Solid Waste Board of Commissioners ends on May 31, 2009, or until their successors are appointed. Your current Board Representative is Paul Stabler and the current Alternate is Mark Boucher. Charter provisions are provided below. Appointment The legislative bodies of member municipalities whose beginning letter begins with L through Z shall appoint their commissioners and alternate commissioners in odd numbered years... Terms of Office Each commissioner and alternate commissioner shall serve for a term of two years ending May 31, 2011 and until his/her successor is duly appointed. The District suggests that you may want to consider appointing an elected official to our Board of Commissioners. We feel the composition of elected officials on the Board provides improved communication of your communities needs regarding waste management. However, we acknowledge the time involved and look forward to working with any interested person from your community. Following the appointment, we ask that you forward a copy of the letter of appointment, or the minutes reflecting such action to the CSWD office at your earliest convenience. We also request that you notify us in writing if a commissioner resigns from his/her position. Sincerel , Amy J II Administra Manager Cc: Town clerk Board Representative Board Alternate printed on recycled paper south Charles E. Hafter, City Manager May 28, 2009 Chair and City Council South Burlington, VT 05403 Re: Requests for re-consideration of sign ordinance regulations To All: As expected, the City is starting to get requests from businesses that have been, or will be, impacted by the sign regulations which become effective June 1, 2009 after a seven- year adjustment period. I have grouped these three requests together on the agenda for your discussion. They are from: • Airport Grocery, 1223 Airport Drive; Laura Robertson • Office Property, 22 Patchen Road; Chuck Bolton • Al's French Fries, Williston Road, Bill Bisonette The information submitted by these property owners is attached. The owners will be present and Mr. Bisonette may have Ms. Liz Pritchett, an expert in historic signs present. The Sign Ordinance is a Council adopted regulation and requests for amendments come directly to City Council rather than the Planning Commission or DRB. Sincerely, Charles Hafter City Manager 575 Dorset Street South Burlington, VT 05403 tel 802.846.4107 fax 802.846.4101 www.sburi.com Airport Grocery 1223 Airport Dr. S. Burlington, VT 05403 May 11,2009 Charles Hafter-City Manager City of South Burlington 575 Dorset St. S. Burlington,VT 05403 Dear Charles Hafter-City Manager: I am writing you in appeal to the city to request an amendment to the South Burlington Sign Ordinance. We hope that you would cons der such an amendment or make allowance to "Grandfather"our existing signs.We feel that the impacts of the ordinance on our business are not in the interest of our community and that Airport Grocery should be an exception to the ordinance. Please understand our position outlined below. My father,Antonio(Gino)Todisco purchased the already established grocery store in 1959.To this date Gino continues to operate this business as he always has with his family, wife Anna, two daughters, Laura and Gina and son Nick. This South Burlington icon and institution operates virtually unchanged providing a valuable and needed service to the South Burlington community for over 50 years. According to this ordinance Airport Grocery is in a residential district on the west side of Airport Grocery. The opposite, east side of the street is zonea commercially and encompasses the Burlington Airport for the most part. As you know,the airport property continues to extended to the west side of the street with the ongoing purchase of a majority of the residential properties and will continue to do so. The Airport master plan will ultimately lead to their request to change the west side of Airport Dr to commercial zoning. The Airport Grocery property is included in this master plan and that likely zoning change request. Airport Grocery is long standing; locally Dwned and family run proprietorship. The sign restrictions impose unfair marketing advantage to corporately run competing businesses just a few hundred yards away. While the corporate establishments may have the financial resources to make required adjustments to comply with this ordinance It is a extremely taxing for a small, family dependant business l'ke Airport Grocery not to speak of the current uncertain economical times. Airport Grocery signs are non-obstructing. All signs are attached and flush to the building. No sign protrudes outward toward the street. The primary announcement sign is on the gable end of the building tucked under the overhang. Ail other signs are behind the storefront glass inside the store. Our building does not have the commercial look that most stores have. We think the Airport Grocery storefront is a bit more harmonious with the surrounding neighborhood and is accepted by the community for what it is. We are concerned that the 4 x 4 sign limit will take our identity as a store, certainly for anyone new to the area like the casual passer-by or traveler. If it does not look like a store, it must not be a store. Airport Grocery is not unreasonable and is wiliirg to reduce it's current and future signage square footage in an attempt to get closer to compliance. We feel we can reduce our signage • Page 2 May 18,2009 approximately 50% with minimal expense and continue to look and operate as a successful grocer. Please consider our request to amend the South Burlington Sign Ordinance for Airport Grocery. Please feel free to contact me an y me al cut this request otherwise I will look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Thank You, Laura Robertson Airport Grocery 862-7502 No Recipient, Fwd: sign placement at 22 Patchen Road To: From: Charles Hafter<chafter©sburl.com> Subject: Fwd: sign placement at 22 Patchen Road Cc: Bcc: Attached: Chuck: I have reviewed the sign ordinance and have concerns as to how it will effect my office property here at 22 Patchen Road. This building improvement is one of the oldest in this section of South Burlington. It was originally built as a farmhouse close to the road. The front of the foundation is 40' from the middle of the double yellow line as it now exists at the presumed middle of the Patchen Road right-of-way. The existing sign location was moved back about 5' from the location of the older existing sign on site at the time of purchase in the fall of 2005. To understand and discover any workable possibilities I asked Ray Belair to come to the site for a review. We met this morning and checked the dimensions along the property frontage and considered how I could best comply with the ordinance. We came to the conclusion that I cannot comply without creating a hardship that would eliminate the signage expected by my tenants. Of course this is of importance to me as I would be at a disadvantage to rent my office space. Both of my tenants have mentioned and from my personal experience there is a clear indication the sign is important as it does generate business. i would like to present my concerns to the city council and hope you could make the necessary arrangements. For older city properties built long ago I hope there will be consideration for a "best fit"toward compliance once all possibilities have been examined. I thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Chuck Bolton Printed for Charles Hafter <chafter@sburl.com> 1 Page 1 of 1 X-Virus-Scanned: amavisd-new at s'burl.com From: "Bill" <AlsFrys@Comcast.net> To: "Chuck hafter" <chafter@sburl.com> Subject: FW: signage Date: Thu, 28 May 2009 12:24:25 -0400 X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.6838 Thread-Index: AcnfpK9n15acAXSARxaRokE.nk,G74KQAC8Ccg X-OriginalArrivalTime: 28 May 2009 16:20:56.0953 (UTC) FILETIME=[47DACE90:01 C9DFB0] Chuck, Please find the info related to our sign at Al's Thanks Bill Original Message From: Liz Pritchett [maiIto:liz@lizpritchettassociates.com] Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2009 10:58 AM To: alsfrys@comcast.net Subject: signage Hi Bill, Please see the attached National Park Serv.ce bulletir on historic signs. I am still waiting to hear from my daughter about next Monday or Tuesday. E he should get beck to me today. I'll be in touch soon. Thanks, Liz Liz Pritchett Associates 46 East State St. Montpelier,VT 05602 802.229.1035 phone 802.223.6819 fax liz@lizpritchettassociates.com historic signs brief25.htm file://CAUsers\chuck\AppData\Local\Temp\,-.'udC.htm 5/28/2009 Preservation Brief 25: The Preservation of Historic Signs Page 1 of 15 Technical Preservation Services 25 Preservation Briefs National Park service U.S. Department of the interior The Preservation of Historic Signs eG Illlltl atmitt11+ 44 Michael 7. Auer - „' »Historic Sign Types and Practices »Sign Regulation _ *Preserving Historic Signs - 1 »New Signs and Historic Buildings - - *Conclusion »Selected Reading List • jiiiimimmits A NOTE TO OUR USERS: The web versions of the Preservation Briefs differ somewh. Many illustrations are new, captions are simplified, illustrations are typically in color rather than black and white, and some complex charts have been omitted. "Signs"refers to a great number of verbal, symbolic or figural markers. Posters, billboards, graffiti and traffic signals, corporate logos, flags, decals and bumper stickers, insignia on baseball caps and tee shirts: all of these are "signs." Buildings themselves can be signs, as structures shaped like hot dogs, coffee pots or Chippendale highboys attest. The signs encountered each day are seemingly countless, for language itself is largely symbolic. This Brief, however, will limit its diltussion of "signs" to lettered or symbolic messages affixed to historic buildings or associated with them. Signs are everywhere. And everywhere they play an important role in human activity. They identify. They direct and decorate. They promote, inform, and Advertise. Signs are essentially social. They name a human activity, and often identify dvho is doing it. Signs allow the owner to communicate with the reader, and the people inside a building to communicate with those outside of it. Signs speak of the people who run the businesses, shops, and firms. Signs are signatures. They reflect the owner's tastes and personality. They often reflect the ethnic makeup of a neighborhood and its l character, as well as the social and business activities carried out there. By giving concrete details about � r daily life in a former era, historic signs allow the past " ` to speak to the present in ways that buildings by '"1 ` ti� themselves do not. And multiple surviving historic - ' \ signs on the same building can indicate several periods < �� in its history or use. In this respect, signs are like ; ts archeological layers that reveal different periods of ��+�' "� • human occupancy and use. Historic signs give continuity to public spaces, http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/TPS/briefs/brief25.htm 5/28/2009 Preservation Brief 25: The Preservation of Historic Signs Page 2 of 15 becoming part of the community memory. They Neon first appeared in signs in the sometimes become landmarks in themselves, almost 1920s,and reached its height of without regard for the building to which they are popularity in the 1940s. Photo: Peter attached, or the property on which they stand. Phillips. Furthermore, in an age of uniform franchise signs and generic plastic "box" signs, historic signs often attract by their individuality: by a clever detail, a daring use of color and motion, or a reference to particular people, shops, or events. Yet historic signs pose problems for those who would save them. Buildings change uses. Businesses undergo change in ownership. New ownership or use normally brings change in signs. Signs are typically part of a business owner's sales strategy, and may be changed to reflect evolving business practices or to project a new image. Signs also change to reflect trends in architecture and technology: witness the Art Deco and Depression Modern lettering popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and the use of neon in the 1940s and 1950s. The cultural significance of signs combined with their often transitory nature makes the preservation of historic signs fraught with questions, problems, and paradoxes. If the common practice in every period has been to change signs with regularity, when and how should historic signs be kept? If the business is changing hands, how can historic signs be reused? The subject is an important one, and offers opportunities to save elements that convey the texture of daily life from the past. This Brief will attempt to answer some of the preservation questions raised by historic signs. It will discuss historic sign practices, and show examples of how historic signs have been preserved even when the business has changed hands or the building itself has been converted to a new use. Historic Sign Types and Practices Pre-Nineteenth Century American sign practices originated largely in Europe. The earliest commercial signs included symbols of the merchant's goods or tradesman's craft. Emblems were mounted on poles, suspended from buildings, or painted on hanging wooden boards. Such symbolic signs were necessary in a society where few could read, although verbal signs were not entirely unknown. A sheep signified a tailor, a tankard a tavern. The red and white striped pole signifying the barbershop, and the three gold balls outside the pawnshop are two such emblems that can occasionally be seen today. (The barber's sign survives from an era when barbers were also surgeons; the emblem suggests bloody bandages associated with the craft. The pawnbroker's sign is a sign of a sign: it derives from the coat of arms of the Medici banking family.) Flat signs with lettering mounted flush against the building gradually replaced hanging, symbolic http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/TPS/briefs/brief25.htm 5/28/2009 Preservation Brief 25: The Preservation of Historic Signs Page 3 of 15 signs. The suspended signs posed safety hazards, •e ' ''' and creaked when they swayed in the wind: "The 1creaking signs not only kept the citizens awake at cf '- night, but they knocked them off their horses, and occasionally fell on them too." The result, in 1 110 0 England, was a law in 1762 banning large r , i projecting signs. In 1797 all projecting signs were �� '- forbidden, although some establishments, notably . . "public houses," retained the hanging sign ` - tradition."(1) _`_ 1_. By the end of the eighteenth century, the hanging - 1 - , sign had declined in popularity. Flat or flush- " ' mounted signs, on the other hand, had become standard. Like symbolic signs, however, the Once commonplace,the three balls tradition of projecting signs has survived into the symbolizing the pawnbroker are now present. rare. Photo: NPS files. Nineteenth Century Signs and Sign Practices Surviving nineteenth-century photographs depict a great variety of signs. The list of signs discussed here is by no means exhaustive. Fascia signs, placed on the fascia or horizontal band between the storefront and the second floor, were among the most common. The fascia is often called the "signboard," and as the word implies, provided a perfect place for a sign--then as now. The narrowness of the fascia imposed strict limits on the sign maker, however, and such signs usually gave little more than the name of the business and perhaps a street number. Similar to fascia signs were signs between the levels of windows across the upper facade. Such signs were mounted on horizontal boards or painted on the building. Signs of this type tended to use several "lines" of text, the name of business and short description, for example. The message, reading from top to bottom, sometimes covered several stories of the building. Other painted signs presented figures, products, or scenes. Such signs were typically more vertical than horizontal in emphasis. Whether such painted signs featured text or images, they became major features of the building, as their makers intended them to be. The building itself often became a backdrop for the sign. Signs in the form of plaques, shields, and ovals were used on many nineteenth-century buildings. Such signs had the advantage of being easily replaced as tenants came and went. They also easily incorporated images as well as lettering. Hanging or projecting signs, both lettered and symbolic, were also common in the nineteenth century, although less so than previously. Projecting signs were often paired with another at a 45-degree angle for increased visibility. Occasionally a sign would stretch out from the building across the sidewalk, supported by a post at the street. Goldleaf signs, and signs painted or etched on glass in http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/TPS/briefs/brief25.htm 5/28/2009 Preservation Brief 25: The Preservation of Historic Signs Page 4 of 15 windows, doors and transoms were quite common. Porcelain enamel signs were also very popular in the latter half of the nineteenth century and into the mid- twentieth century. Signs carved from stone or wood also . 4:. appeared frequently, especially on institutional buildings. .. Painted shutters and even window shades provided additional advertising space. i I i I Posters found their way into display windows when they t_ weren't pasted onto the building. Sidewalk signs or — '' "sandwich boards" offered another chance to catch the eye n ! of any passerby not watching the graphics overhead. Nineteenth-century tenants looking for additional advertising space found it in unexpected places. They used the entrance steps to mount signs in a variety of ways: Handrails, risers, Objects associated with a business continue to be used skirts, and balusters sported signs that gave businesses on as signs. Photo: NPS files. upper levels a chance to attract notice. Awnings offered other opportunities for keeping a name before the public. The fringe or skirt of the awning, as well as the panel at the side were the usual places for a name or street number. Flags, particularly hung from the upper floors, and banners, sometimes stretching across the sidewalk, also appeared on buildings. Rooftop signs appeared with greater frequency in the second half of the nineteenth century than previously. Earlier rooftop signs tended to be relatively simple--often merely larger versions of the horizontal signs typically found on lower levels. Late in the century the signs became more ornate as well as more numerous. These later rooftop signs were typically found on hotels, theaters, banks and other large buildings. The sign types described here were not used in isolation. Window and awning signs attracted sidewalk pedestrians and people in the street. Upper level signs reached viewers at greater distances. If signs were numerous, however, they were nonetheless usually small in scale. As the century wore on, signs increased in size and scale. Wall signs several stories high were not uncommon in the second half of the century. This development reflects changes in urban life as the century headed to its close. Cities were experiencing rapid population growth. Buildings became bigger and taller. Elevated trains and electric trolleys increased the pace of city life. And when it comes to signs, speed alters scale. The faster people travel, the bigger a sign has to be before they can see it. Twentieth Century Signs and Sign Practices The advent of the twentieth century approximately coincided with the coming of electricity, which gave signs light and, later, movement. Illuminated signs were not unknown before electricity. An advertisement printed about 1700 mentioned a night time sign lit by candles, and in 1840 the legendary showman P.T. Barnum built a huge sign illuminated by gas.(2) But electricity was safer and cheaper than candles, kerosene and gas. Its widespread use gave signs a prominence they retain today: illuminated signs dominate the streets at night. Electricity permitted signs to be illuminated by http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/TPS/briefs/brief25.htm 5/28/2009 Preservation Brief 25: The Preservation of Historic Signs Page 5 of 15 light shining onto them, but the real revolution occurred when lightbulbs were used to form the images and words on signs. Lightbulbs flashing on AIM (;) Me and off made new demands on the attention of ••, passersby. Lightbulbs blinking in sequence could IL ' ''— „a also simulate movement. Add this property to the .•' i',r'. - , it ; , mix, and a dramatic transformation of American UM 1 1 streets resulted. Z-- IN .. Moving signs were not unknown prior to the advent of electricity, for wind-driven signs had - made their appearance in the nineteenth century. In the 1930s and 1940s, signs built into But electricity gave signs an unparalleled range of storefronts became popular. This example motion. This movement added yet another is from Guthrie, Oklahoma. Photo: NPS element to the life of the street. files. Neon is another great twentieth-century contribution to the signmaker's art. "Neon," coined from the Greek word for "new," is a "new gas." It has the useful property of glowing when an electric charge passes through it. (Argon, krypton, xenon and helium share this property. Only neon and argon, however, are typically used in commercial signs.) Encased in glass tubes shaped into letters or symbols, neon offered signmakers an opportunity to mold light into an infinite variety of shapes, colors, and images. Combined with an electric timer, the neon tubing could present images moving in succession. Neon first appeared in signs in the 1920s, and reached its height of popularity in the 1940s. The first documented neon commercial sign in the United States was at a Packard Motor Car dealership in Los Angeles in 1923.(3) After a period of decline, it underwent a renaissance, beginning in the 1970s. Artists experimented with neon as a conscious art-form, and several notable architects further helped in its revival.(4) Renewed interest in this colorful medium also sparked interest in preserving historic neon signs. 1 Along with such developments as the coming of electricity and then neon, stylistic movements influenced twentieth-century -- signs. In particular, Art Deco and Streamlined Moderne affected not just buildings, but their signs as well. I\w: Architects working in these styles often integrated signs and k� ,- buildings into a unified design. This was particularly true of ItA.L storefronts built using pigmented structural glass, commonly S ":1",' A : known as "Carrara glass," and porcelain enamel on steel N. 0 raj L-).LE panels. These materials allowed words and images to be etched into the glass or enamel, or to be constructed in . `` different colors and patterns as part of an overall design for i the building. Such storefronts were popular from the 1920s , into the 1940s. 4 As the century advanced, new styles took hold. The late This Ogdr__, ,tah, sign is a 1950s brought signs with fins, star bursts, and other images superb example of neon. Photo: NPS files. reflecting a new fascination with outer space. In the decades after World War II signs were also transformed by a group of materials now known generically as "plastic." Plastic http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/TPS/briefs/brief25.htm 5/28/2009 Preservation Brief 25: The Preservation of Historic Signs Page 6 of 15 had several advantages over wood, metal and other traditional sign materials. As the name indicates, "plastic" can take almost any shape. It can also take almost any color. Plastic is translucent. Lit from behind, it appears to glow. It is relatively durable. Above all, it is inexpensive, and can be mass produced. Plastic quickly 0 became the dominant sign material. L:a W � Another profound influence on signs in this period stemmed from { - business trends rather than from technological breakthroughs or design movements: the rise of chain stores and franchises. National firms replaced many local businesses. Standard corporate ;; ,r,Tlik-611111 , signs went up; local trademarks came down. The rise of mass - culture, of which the national chain is but one expression, has meant the rise of standardization, and the elimination of regional ,, differences and local character. In the late 1950s and early 1960s,the The decline of gold-leafingand other traditional sign techniques country turned its q attention to outer contributed to these trends. Mass-produced signs have replaced space,as in this local signs that differed from owner to owner and from signmaker example in Long to signmaker. The result is not sameness, but impersonality Beach,California. g justp y Photo: Peter Phillips. as well: It is becoming rarer, for example, to find owners' names on signs. Whether the trend toward sameness can successfully be resisted is yet to be seen. (Some crafts, such as gold-leafing and porcelain enameling, for example, have experienced a revival of sorts.) But the preservation of historic signs is one way to ensure that at least some of these expressions of local history continue to enliven our streets. Sign Regulation Historic commercial areas have customarily been a riot of signs. Yet if clutter has ample precedent, so do efforts to control it. Early attempts to regulate signs in this country include those of professional associations of advertisers, such as the International Bill Posters Organization of North America, founded in St. Louis in 1872.(5) However, early efforts by municipalities to enact sign regulations met with disfavor in the courts, which traditionally opposed any regulatory effort based on aesthetic concerns. Early successes in the legal arena, such as the 1911 case, St. Louis Gunning Advertising Company v. City of St. Louis, were realized when proponents of sign controls argued that signs and billboards endangered public health and safety. Yet gradually courts found merit in the regulation of private property for aesthetic reasons. In 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court handed down the landmark decision, Berman v. Parker, in which the court declared: "It is within the power of the legislature to determine that the community should be beautiful as well as healthy, spacious as well as clean, well balanced as well as carefully patrolled." (6) With the blessing of the courts, communities across the nation have enacted sign controls to reduce "urban blight." And where historic buildings are concerned, the growth of local review commissions has added to the momentum for controls in historic districts. http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/TPS/briefs/brief25.htm 5/28/2009 Preservation Brief 25: The Preservation of Historic Signs Page 7 of 15 Typically, sign controls regulate the number, size and type r of signs. In some cases, moving or projecting signs are . t' \, prohibited. Often such ordinances also regulate sign : i 'T' I placement--owners are told to line up their signs with P 44I1 others on the block, for example. Materials, likewise, are ,, . " prescribed: wood is encouraged, plastic discouraged or 'i forbidden altogether. Sign controls often specify lighting '; � ,; sources: indirect illumination (light shining onto the sign) is = often required instead of neon tubing, bare lightbulbs, or ` "backlighting," used in most plastic signs. Some ordinances forbid lighting completely. (Neon, especially, is still held in disfavor in some areas.) Finally, ordinances sometimes j require signs to be "compatible" in color and other design i""'�"" qualities with the facade of the building and the overall appearance of the street. This fading sign was painted in Baltimore in 1931 or 1932. It Existing signs frequently do not meet requirements set survives from the campaign to enact the 21st amendment to forth in sign controls. They are too big, for example, or the United States Constitution, project too far from the building. Typically, sign ordinances which repealed prohibition. permit such "nonconforming" existing signs to remain, but Photo: NPS files. only for a specified period, after which they must be removed. If they need repair before then, or if the business changes owners, they must likewise be removed. Sign controls offer communities the chance to reduce visual blight. They can also assist in producing both a new visibility and a new viability for historic commercial districts. Yet sign ordinances are not without problems. Sign controls satisfy contemporary ideas of "good taste." But "bad taste" has ample historic precedent. And in any case, tastes change. What is tasteful today may be dated tomorrow. Sign controls can impose a uniformity that falsifies history. Most historic districts contain buildings constructed over a long period of time, by different owners for different purposes; the buildings reflect different architectural styles and personal tastes. By requiring a standard sign "image" in such matters as size, material, typeface and other qualities, sign controls can mute the diversity of historic districts. Such controls can also sacrifice signs of some age and distinction that have not yet come back into fashion.(7) Neon serves as an instructive example in this regard: once "in," then "out," then "in" again. Unfortunately, a great number of notable signs were lost because sign controls were drafted in many communities when neon was "out." Increasingly, however, communities are enacting ordinances that recognize older and historic signs and permit them to be kept. The National Park Service encourages this trend. Sign as Icon Signs often become so important to a community that they are valued long after their role as commercial markers has ceased. They become landmarks, loved because they have been visible at certain street corners--or from many vantage points across the city- -for a long time. Such signs are valued for their familiarity, their beauty, their humor, their size, or even their grotesqueness. In these cases, signs transcend their conventional role as vehicles of information, as identifiers of something else. When signs reach this stage, they accumulate rich layers of meaning. They no longer merely advertise, but are valued in and of themselves. They become icons. http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/TPS/briefs/brief25.htm 5/28/2009 Preservation Brief 25: The Preservation of Historic Signs Page 8 of 15 Preserving Historic Signs Historic signs can contribute to the character of rt$ buildings and districts. They can also be valued in '-- a -� c , themselves, quite apart from the buildings to ' • -"° :, which they may be attached. However, any ' ..'""U program to preserve historic signs must recognize LLthe challenges they present. These challenges are Iinot for the most part technical. Sign preservation R liAm is more likely to involve aesthetic concerns and to BEST FOR14 generate community debate. Added to these mRri: �, R concerns are several community goals that often GENERATIONS. ati �. appear to conflict: retaining diverse elements -- 1 from the past, encouraging artistic expression in 1 -# ~ new signs, zoning for aesthetic concerns, and --__! ""•" }y reconciling business requirements with Signs for Bull Durham Tobacco once preservation. covered walls all over the country. Photo: Jack E. Boucher, NABS, NPS. Preserving historic signs is not always easy. But the intrinsic merit of many signs, as well as their contribution to the overall character of a place, make the effort worthwhile. Observing the guidelines given below can help preserve both business and history. Retaining Historic Signs Retain historic signs whenever possible, particularly when they are: • associated with historic figures, events or places. • significant as evidence of the history of the product, business or service advertised. • significant as reflecting the history of the building or the development of the historic district. A sign may be the only indicator of a building's historic use. • characteristic of a specific historic period, such as gold leaf on glass, neon, or stainless steel lettering. • integral to the building's design or physical fabric, as when a sign is part of a storefront made of Carrara glass or enamel panels, or when the name of the historic firm or the date are rendered in stone, metal or tile. In such cases, removal can harm the integrity of a historic property's design, or cause significant damage to its materials. • outstanding examples of the signmaker's art, whether because of their excellent craftsmanship, use of materials, or design. • local landmarks, that is, signs recognized as popular focal points in a community. • elements important in defining the character of a district, such as marquees in a theater district. http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/TPS/briefs/brief25.htm 5/28/2009 Preservation Brief 25: The Preservation of Historic Signs Page 9 of 15 Maintaining and Repairing Historic Signs Maintenance of historic signs is essential for their long-term preservation. Sign maintenance involves periodic inspections for evidence of damage and deterioration. Lightbulbs may need replacement. Screws and bolts may be weakened, or missing altogether. Dirt and other debris may be accumulating, introduced by birds or insects, and should be cleaned out. Water may be collecting in or on sign cabinets, threatening electrical connections. The source of water penetration should be identified and sealed. Most of these minor repairs are routine maintenance measures, and do not call for special expertise. All repairs, however, require caution. For example, electricity should be turned off when working around electric signs. More extensive repairs should be undertaken by professionals. The sign industry is a large and active one. Sign designers, fabricators and skilled craftsmen are located throughout the country. Once in danger of being lost altogether, gold leaf on glass and porcelain enamel are undergoing revivals, and the art of bending neon tubes is now widely practiced. Finding help from qualified sources should not be difficult. Before contracting for work on historic signs, however, owners should check references, and view other projects completed by the same company. Major repairs may require removal of the sign to a workshop. Since signs are sometimes damaged while the building is undergoing repair, work on the building should be scheduled while the sign is in the shop. (If the sign remains in place while work on the building is in progress, the sign should be protected.) Repair techniques for specific sign materials are discussed below (see "Repairing Historic Sign Materials"). The overall goal in repairs such as supplying missing letters, replacing broken neon tubing, or splicing in new members for deteriorated sections is to restore a sign that is otherwise whole. Recognize, however, that the apparent age of historic signs is one of their major features; do not "over restore" signs so that all evidence of their age is lost, even though the appearance and form may be recaptured. Reusing Historic Signs If a building or business has changed hands, historic signs associated with former enterprises in the building should be reused if possible by: • keeping the historic sign--unaltered. This is often possible even when the new business is of a different nature from the old. Preferably, the old sign can be left in its historic location; sometimes, however, it may be necessary to move the sign elsewhere on the building to accommodate a new one. Conversely, it may be necessary to relocate new signs to avoid hiding or overwhelming historic ones, or to redesign proposed new signs so that the old ones may remain. (The legitimate advertising needs of current tenants, however, must be recognized.) Keeping the old sign is often a good marketing strategy. It can exploit the recognition value of the old name and play upon the public's fondness for the old sign. The advertising value of an old sign can be immense. This is especially true when the sign is a community landmark. • relocating the sign to the interior, such as in the lobby or above the bar in a restaurant. This option is less preferable than keeping the sign outside the building, but it does preserve the sign, and leaves open the possibility of putting it back in its historic location. http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/TPS/briefs/brief25.htm 5/28/2009