Commission approves painted-wall master plan for 392 West Broadway with limits on size and placement

On Sept. 9 the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved, with modifications, a master plan that governs future painted wall signs for 392 West Broadway in the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District Extension, concluding that a painted wall sign at the proposed location can be compatible with the district if adjusted to staff criteria. The commission voted 8–0 to approve a ten-year master plan but required the sign be set back three feet from the primary facade, at least two feet below the roofline, reduced to no more than 20 percent coverage of the visible wall and surrounded by a solid painted border of at least two inches in black or white. Applicant consultant Jackie Puduvalen said the proposed sign would replace a grandfathered painted sign currently on the building and that the requested new sign footprint is approximately 837 square feet — roughly 44.9 percent of the visible wall — and is intended to match an existing large sign the tenant had historically maintained. The applicant said the sign would be set back one foot from the facade as shown in the submission, but commissioners and staff noted the proposal exceeded the commission’s typical 20 percent coverage limit and lacked the traditional solid border and the usual three-foot setback from the primary facade. Preservation groups and neighbors objected at the hearing. John Graham of the Victorian Society urged the commission not to approve the proposal as submitted, saying “This sign must not be approved” and calling for adherence to the commission’s rules on border, setback and coverage. Kaylee Johnson of the Historic Districts Council said HDC finds the proposal inappropriate and urged the applicant to follow staff-level rules. Commissioner Ginsburg moved the amended approval; Commissioner Mahan seconded. The commission’s finding cited historic precedent for painted wall signs on secondary facades but added the modifications to protect the front façade and adjacent streetscape where two painted signs would be visible in the same view. Under the commission’s motion, the master plan will be valid for 10 years and the applicant must document each sign installed under the plan so the commission can review its effectiveness. Staff noted that because of the close proximity to an LPC-approved painted sign across the street, this application required full commission review rather than a staff-level permit. The commission’s conditions require the final painted design to include a contrasting solid border, the prescribed setbacks, and a reduction of the painted area to the commission’s typical 20 percent of the visible wall area.