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HRC tables request for two illuminated signs at 540 Broadway pending signage plan and ordinance review
Summary
The Historic Resources Commission tabled a proposal for two internally illuminated signs at 540 Broadway and asked staff for additional elevation drawings, ordinance context and a signage plan showing alternatives and precedents.
A request to install two internally illuminated channel‑letter signs at 540 Broadway was tabled for additional documentation and a broader signage plan.
Darren Katz of Saxon Signs presented two identical channel‑letter signs proposed for the building’s northeast corner, one facing Broadway and one facing the side street. Planning staff recommended lowering the signage one story to align with traditional nineteenth‑ and twentieth‑century storefront sign placement and to reduce visual clutter on the streetscape.
Commissioners raised objections related to precedent for upper‑floor signage on multi‑tenant commercial buildings, the likelihood of future competing tenant signs, and the need to interpret the sign code in a way consistent with past approvals. Staff and commissioners discussed examples of previously approved upper‑floor signage in downtown Albany and the potential need for variances in some circumstances; no final determination was made.
The commission voted to table the application and asked staff to provide elevation drawings showing the alternative placement, references to relevant past approvals, and a review of the sign ordinance and variance history so the commission can evaluate consistency with prior decisions and potential long‑term effects on the building’s façade.
