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TOWN OF OLD SAYBROOK Architectural Review Board |
David H. Wight, Chairman Elizabeth B. Swenson, Vice Chair Theodore (Guy) Pendleton, Secretary |
302 Main Street Old Saybrook, Connecticut 06475-1741 Telephone (860) 395-3131 FAX (860) 395-1216
MINUTES Regular Meeting Monday, March 12, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room 302 Main Street
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Jonathan M. Gibbs Kingmon B. Snow, Jr. Vacancy, Alternate Vacancy, Alternate
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CALL TO ORDER
Chairman David Wight called the regular meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
Attendant Members
David Wight, Chairman
Elizabeth Swenson, Vice Chair
Kingmon Snow, Regular Member
Jonathan Gibbs, Regular Member
Guy Pendleton, Regular Member
Attendant Staff
Janet Vinciguerra, Recording Clerk
III. NEW BUSINESS
A. “Lawrence & Memorial Medical Office Bldg.” Sign
633 Middlesex Turnpike (Map 57 / Lot 32)
Shopping Center Business B-2 District
Applicant: 633 Middlesex Tpke, LLC Agent: Phil Biondo
Mr. Phil Biondo was present. Mr. Biondo said the new sign will be in the same location and will use the same brick columns. The sign will be made of a plastic composite material and the panels will be interchangeable. Mr. Wight would like to see a neutral buff color rather than the proposed yellow color. Mr. Snow suggests using lower wattage mercury vapor bulbs in the existing light fixtures. Mr. Biondo will contact Mr. Snow for specific information on wattage. Mr. Gibbs suggested balancing the tenant panels on the bottom row.
MOTION to recommend approval of the sign as presented with the following recommendations:
1. Replace the yellow background with a buff color;
2. Use lower wattage in existing fixtures.
MOVED by K. Snow SECONDED by G. Pendleton
IN FAVOR: D. Wight, E. Swenson, J. Gibbs, G. Pendleton and K. Snow.
OPPOSED: none. ABSTAINED: none. APPROVED: 5-0-0.
B. “Vector Capital Group, LLC” Sign
222 Boston Post Road (Map 28 / Lot 58)
Shopping Center Business B-2 District
Applicant/Agent: Todd Taylor
Mr. Toddy Taylor was present. The board noted that the sign has already been installed on the building. Mr. Taylor stated that his landlord gave him permission to replace the former tenant’s sign in the same location. The sign is not illuminated and is the same size at the previous tenant’s sign. The board discussed that since the sign is already completed and installed there was no need to discuss the design elements of the sign but rather simply vote on it.
MOTION to recommend denial of the sign as presented.
MOVED by J. Gibbs SECONDED by G. Pendleton
IN FAVOR: D. Wight, E. Swenson, G. Pendleton and J. Gibbs.
OPPOSED: none. ABSTAINED: K. Snow. APPROVED: 4-0-1.
C. “Gateway Antique Shop” Sign
25 Stage Road (Map 40 / Lot 12)
Gateway Business B-4 District
Applicant/Agent: Angela Pertesis
Ms. Angela Pertesis was present. Ms. Pertesis informed the board that she would like to use the current freestanding sign structure, which is 10 feet from the road. She would also like to add a building sign for over the front door. She wants to use the red coloring of the building in both signs. The board recommended that she use red background with the proposed bisque lettering for the street sign but change the coloring for the building sign so that the background is bisque with red lettering. Ms. Swenson suggests that the building sign should be wide enough to cover the entire width of the front door including over the shutters. Ms. Swenson also suggested plantings around the base of the street sign such as perennial day lilies and low junipers with some annuals
intermixed. The board further suggested the bottom of the street sign be 4 feet from the ground and allowing for the proposed 2 ½ feet for the sign, leave another 6 inches above the top of the sign for each of the posts so that the posts may need to be cut down few inches. Because the supporting documentation with this application is conceptual sketches, the board would like to see a computer-generated proposal from a sign maker with more precise dimensions.
MOTION to table this application until the April 9, 2007 meeting so that the applicant can present more precise documentation.
MOVED by K. Snow SECONDED by E. Swenson
IN FAVOR: D. Wight, E. Swenson, G. Pendleton, J. Gibbs and K. Snow.
OPPOSED: none. ABSTAINED: none. APPROVED: 5-0-0.
D. “Saybrook Seafood” Sign
843 Boston Post Road (Map 36 / Lot 003)
Shopping Center Business B-2 District
Applicant/Agent: Robin Staplins
Mr. Gibbs recused himself from this application for personal reasons.
Ms. Robin Staplins was present. Ms. Staplins informed the board that the sign is already installed on the building and she apologies for doing so in error. The board members discussed the size, location and colors of the signs and felt it was acceptable.
MOTION to recommend approval of the sign as presented.
MOVED by K. Snow SECONDED by E. Swenson
IN FAVOR: D. Wight, E. Swenson, G. Pendleton and K. Snow.
OPPOSED: none. ABSTAINED: J. Gibbs. APPROVED: 4-0-1.
E. “Atlantic Seafood” Sign
1400 Boston Post Road (Map 27 / Lot 21)
Gateway Business B-4 District
Applicant: C & J Atlantic LLC Agent: Saybrook Awnings
Mr. Shaun Reed of Saybrook Awnings was present. Mr. Reed informed the board that the proposed awning will have 20 inch lettering and will be 36 feet long by 4 ½ feet tall and will project 36 inches from the building. Mr. Gibbs stated that he would like to see it attached to the wall about 8 inches from the top and brought in 6 to 24 inches from both sides rather than looking like a building cap. Additionally, Mr. Gibbs suggested that this application should be a building modification since the awning projects more than two feet from the building. Mr. Reed raised the issue of whether or not this application will be accepted by the Zoning Commission. The ARB agreed that this issue needs to be clarified and the Board agreed with the applicant that an awning can be a viable
alternative to a freestanding sign and understands the complexity of such signage.
MOTION to continue this application until the March 26, 2007 meeting so that regulations of awnings can be discussed. Furthermore, the Board would like the applicant to come back to the April 9, 2007 meeting with the following recommendations:
1. Change the shape to a square awning with a rigid valance with 18 inch letter band and 16 inch lettering;
2. Leave 8 inches of wall clear around all sides, preferably 2 feet on the ends of the front wall.
MOVED by J. Gibbs SECONDED by E. Swenson
IN FAVOR: D. Wight, E. Swenson, G. Pendleton, J. Gibbs and K. Snow.
OPPOSED: none. ABSTAINED: none. APPROVED: 5-0-0.
Mr. Snow left the meeting at 9:55 p.m.
V. REGULAR BUSINESS
A. Meeting Minutes –2/26/07 and 2/12/07 Regular Meetings
MOTION to approve the minutes of the 2/26/07 regular meeting.
MOVED by E. Swenson SECONDED by J. Gibbs
IN FAVOR: D. Wight, J. Gibbs, G. Pendleton and E. Swenson.
OPPOSED: none. ABSTAINED: none. APPROVED: 4-0-0.
MOTION to approve the minutes of the 2/12/07 regular meeting.
MOVED by D. Wight SECONDED by J. Gibbs
IN FAVOR: D. Wight, J. Gibbs and E. Swenson.
OPPOSED: none. ABSTAINED: G. Pendleton APPROVED: 3-0-1.
B. Correspondence – no new items.
C. Committee, Representative & Staff Reports – The ARB plans to attend the April 19, 2007 meeting of the Clinton Design Review Board at the Clinton Town Hall.
VI. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 10:30 p.m. until the next regular meeting on Monday, March 26, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Saybrook Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 302 Main St.
MOVED by J. Gibbs SECONDED by E. Swenson
IN FAVOR: D. Wight, E. Swenson, J. Gibbs and Guy Pendleton.
OPPOSED: none. ABSTAINED: none. APPROVED: 4-0-0.
Respectfully Submitted,
Janet S. Vinciguerra, Recording Clerk
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