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Design board approves new monument sign and planting plan for 401 South Main with color sample condition
Summary
The board approved a double-faced monument sign and a simplified planting plan for the 401 South Main professional building, requiring the applicant to submit a background color sample for staff approval and to follow a dated planting plan for final landscaping.
The City of Alpharetta Design Review Board voted 7-0 on Feb. 21 to approve a double-faced monument sign and a planting plan for the 401 South Main professional building, with conditions requiring a final background color sample for staff review and adherence to a simplified planting drawing.
Dr. Krishna Donaparthy, president of the homeowners association (HOA) for 401 South Main, told the board the site has lacked a permanent sign since Feb. 6, 2020, after roadway work by DOT removed the prior sign. "With the DOT doing construction in that area, we've been without a sign since 02/06/2020," Dr. Donaparthy said; he said a temporary sign and frequent knockdowns had frustrated patients and visitors.
Board members asked detailed questions about existing utilities and the plan’s visibility. Staff and the applicant explained that a power pole and street light are located adjacent to the sidewalk and that the proposed sign is shown in plan and elevation drawings to be visible from both directions on North Main Street. The board debated planting density and long-term survivability; one member described the color rendering as a later iteration and favored a simpler, “dignified” planting palette.
The board approved the sign with a condition that the applicant submit a background color sample of the sign cabinet to staff for final approval. On landscaping, the board separately approved the black-and-white planting plan dated Aug. 12, 2024, and recorded that irrigation and electrical work will follow installation of the sign. Both motions passed unanimously, 7-0.
Why it matters: The sign and landscaping approval resolve a multi-year visibility problem for the office complex created when DOT removed the prior sign. The planting plan and non-illumination decision will guide subsequent electrical and irrigation work, and the color-sample condition gives staff final control over the sign’s visual contrast.
Application files: DRB-250004 (sign) and DRB-250005 (landscape).
