Committee debates lettering on Berman Tower, favors ground sign; lighting repairs delayed pending insurer appraisal

The committee discussed signage and lighting for the Berman Tower during the Nov. 17 meeting, weighing whether to place large lettering on the tower itself or install a ground sign with an informational placard.

Staff presented conceptual photos showing lettering on the tower and a ground sign similar to the Riverfront Park sign. The staff presentation noted the existing historical placard is hard to read from the road and suggested a ground sign and improved tower lettering as options; staff also said renderings could be prepared if the board wanted more design detail.

Several committee members objected to bold lettering across the tower, calling the treatment "a little tacky" and comparing it to a billboard. One trustee recommended placing any lettering below a small window to achieve better balance and asked to see alternative fonts and placements before any installation.

Staff estimated the ground sign could cost in the neighborhood of $3,000 to $4,000, noting a previous Riverfront Park sign cost just under $2,000 when purchased several years earlier. Trustees discussed ways to allow future naming or secondary identification on a single sign (for example, adding a park name beneath a tower name) and staff said some fabrication methods make retrofitting letters difficult, though a modular secondary sign could be added under a primary sign.

On a related maintenance issue, staff said tower lighting repairs are roughly a $200,000 project. Staff reported the village requested a second appraisal from the insurer because the company questioned whether the lighting qualified as part of the structure and therefore whether it is covered; repair work has been delayed pending the insurer's second appraisal.

Staff said they will obtain renderings showing a lower ground sign option and bring those concepts back to the committee before ordering any work.