Issaquah Development Commission approves Burgermaster landmark sign alterations

The City of Issaquah Development Commission on June 11 approved changes to the Burgermaster landmark sign, allowing the restaurant to install updated branding while retaining the sign’s landmark protections.

The commission voted to accept the applicant’s revised submittal — a wood-grain orange barrel with a red branding oval and updated lettering — after staff recommended approval with a condition that the barrel color remain close to the sign’s existing orange and commissioners weighed trademark and historic-preservation considerations.

Staff said the commission had previously designated the sign a landmark on May 22 and that proposed material changes exceeded 50% of the sign area, triggering a full review under Issaquah’s sign rules. "We recommend approving the sign as it has been resubmitted and is presented to you all tonight," a city staff member told the commission.

Staff explained the sign-area calculation used to determine allowed lettering size: the relevant façade measured about 62.5 feet by 11.5 feet (approximately 718.75 square feet); the city’s code allows about 7% of that façade to be signed (roughly 50 square feet). The proposed top lettering measures about 48 square feet, which staff said would comply with the current sign code.

The applicant and the sign company offered two visual approaches during the hearing. The applicant, who identified himself as the Burgermaster owner, told the commission that, after inspecting a damaged letter, he believed some original paint underneath had been red and asked the commission to consider restoring a red oval. "We recently, just today, uncovered ... evidence that the sign actually used to be red," he said, presenting faded paint as support for the red option. Temple Voorhees, representing the sign company, confirmed the proposed red matched Pantone 1795 C and described the wood-grain orange as two close Pantone specifications (158 C and 159 C) used for background and grain.

Corby Casler, executive director of the Downtown Issaquah Association, urged preservation of the sign’s "wording, shape, texture and color," arguing those features were central to its landmark designation and historic value.

Commissioners examined two practical constraints before approving the revision. Several commissioners said they viewed the sign’s current orange range as the community’s remembered color and preferred the orange/wood-grain option. Commissioners also noted a cease-and-desist letter from the owner of the Triple X trademark (Triple X Drive-In of Lafayette, Indiana). The applicant told the commission he had received that letter and said keeping the Triple X branding could expose him to legal risk; a commissioner confirmed the cease-and-desist letter and that Triple X holds a trademark registration covering restaurant services.

Because of that legal risk, commissioners repeatedly said reinstating the Triple X branding would not be feasible. One commissioner summarized the practical outcome: forcing the applicant to restore the Triple X wording “would put [the applicant] in a position of liability.” The commission’s discussion therefore focused on retaining the sign’s historic form, texture and a color palette consistent with the landmark designation while accommodating Burgermaster’s branding in the oval portion of the sign.

After discussion and a motion to approve the resubmitted design as presented on June 11, the commission closed deliberations and approved the alterations.

The decision preserves the sign’s landmark protections (the sign’s shape and general design must remain similar under city rules) while allowing the owner to update materials and branding under the approved color and size limits. Staff and commissioners noted that the landmark status remains attached to the sign and would constrain future owners’ ability to alter shape, color and texture; the code does not automatically require retention of a specific brand name if the property later changes use.

The commission’s approval follows an earlier public hearing process: landmark designation on May 22, continued deliberations from a May 15 meeting and a resubmittal by the applicant that addressed color and texture concerns. The record for the meeting now includes staff reports, the applicant’s revised drawings and the cease-and-desist correspondence submitted during the hearing.

Members of the public and the applicant may seek additional clarification from city staff on implementation steps, restoration materials, and any potential legal exposure related to trademark claims. The commission’s action on the Burgermaster sign was limited to the design submittal presented June 11 and did not resolve trademark disputes.