Staff administratively approves replacement banner for Murray and Murray at East Shoreline Drive

The Landmark Commission was briefed Aug. 20 on a staff administrative approval for a replacement commercial banner for the Murray and Murray law firm at 1111 East Shoreline Drive.

Staff said the property is outside the historic district but inside the Downtown Design Review District, which points to the same design guidelines used for historic properties. Adam, a planning staff member, said the proposed sign “is not expected to be detrimental to the downtown character.” He told the commission the sign will face west toward existing docks, will not be illuminated, and uses accent colors consistent with the firm’s branding; the background color is no longer white. Staff granted an administratively approved certificate of appropriateness on 2025-07-11.

Why it matters: signs on downtown commercial buildings are regulated to maintain a consistent streetscape and pedestrian scale in the Downtown Design Review District. Staff told commissioners the banner’s location and non-illuminated design meet the district’s design guidelines and therefore did not require a full commission review.

Details and context: Adam presented an aerial image and elevations showing the placement of the banner. He said the property is not in the local historic district, and that the relevant ordinance delegates most routine approvals to staff, with the commission acting as an appeals body in cases of owner–staff conflict. Commission members did not request additional information or a formal vote during the briefing.

The briefing was part of a short Aug. 20 quarterly meeting in which three items previously administratively approved by staff were presented to keep the commission informed. The commission’s next scheduled meeting is the third Wednesday in September (Sept. 17) if there is business to consider.