Victorian Village commission approves reface of blade sign at 965 North High Street

The Victorian Village Commission voted to approve a certificate of appropriateness to reface an existing projecting (blade) sign at 965 North High Street, saying the updated face will improve legibility while keeping the sign’s dimensions and mounting.

City staff presented the application and recommended approval under the Short North design guidelines, general design guidelines and the projecting blade-sign guidelines, conditioned on submission of any clarifications to Historic Board Office (HBO) staff before a certificate is issued. Rebecca Green, the applicant’s representative, told the commission the sign was installed in 2024 and “as time went by, they realized it was not as legible as they had hoped,” and the reface is intended to make the business name more identifiable.

Commission discussion was brief. A commissioner moved to approve the certificate of appropriateness; another commissioner seconded the motion. The commission approved the application by voice vote. The motion record in the transcript does not list individual roll-call votes.

Staff noted that the sign’s dimensions and mounting will remain as existing and that the approval is based on the applicable design guidelines. The commission requested any additional materials or minor clarifications be submitted to HBO staff prior to issuance of the certificate to ensure the final installation meets the standards cited in staff’s recommendation.

The commission also reviewed the schedule for upcoming business meetings and hearings at the close of the session.