Design board tells Smash Burgers by Vice to paint Heritage Walk sign area rather than use vinyl wrap

Milton’s Design Review Board on Aug. 5 reviewed a staff item for Smash Burgers by Vice at 43100 Heritage Walk and recommended the restaurant use painted signage on the building façade that faces Heritage Walk rather than a vinyl heat‑applied brick wrap proposed by the tenant. Staff said the shopping‑center master signage plan (approved by the director in 2023) allows brick‑melt treatments, including 3M vinyl wraps, and permits tenants to use their branding color as a base. The applicant proposed a deep green (Pantone 560 C) vinyl wrap on white‑painted brick and showed an interior angled sign element the applicant planned to keep inside the restaurant. Staff recommended approval with the condition that any wrap be removed and the brick restored if the business closes. Board members raised concerns about setting a precedent for vinyl wraps visible from Heritage Walk and the consistency of streetscape appearance. Several members said painted signage would better fit Crabapple’s public frontage and streetscape goals. The board voted to approve the business’ exterior treatment on condition that the façade facing Heritage Walk be painted rather than heat‑applied vinyl, that the triangular angled sign visible in the application not be installed on the exterior, and that the vinyl or paint be removed and the brick returned to an original finish if the tenant vacates. Staff noted the vinyl application on the building’s interior elevations and the applicant was not present at the meeting; the board’s action requires the applicant to submit final paint/graphic documentation consistent with the board’s direction before permitting proceeds.