Board signals preference for scaled blade sign and canopy-mounted building name for 445 E. State St.; owner to return in January

The Planning Board reviewed a revised sign package for 445 East State Street (Martin Luther King Jr. Street) and expressed a clear preference for a reduced blade sign and for moving the building name from the freestanding arch to the canopy above the main entrance.

Ben Harrell, representing the owner, presented four font and layout options for a reduced blade sign (18 inches, ~12 square feet) and a revised gateway arch sign scaled down to about 39.55 square feet with optional gooseneck lighting. Board members generally favored the blade sign option labeled 'e' (light text on a dark background) as the most legible. Several board members were skeptical of the arch-mounted name, noting it read like brand marketing for a residential building; multiple commissioners preferred the building name ('Theory') be mounted on the canopy or canopy edge above the entrance, with the arch left as an unbranded architectural gateway.

Lighting drew divided views: some commissioners supported a small gooseneck fixture focused on the sign, on a timer to limit illumination hours, while others opposed lighting as too commercial or likely to glare into upper-floor windows. The owner indicated openness to removing or time-limiting lighting if the board preferred.

Planning staff suggested the applicant return with one or two more refined mounting options illustrating how the canopy-mounted letters would appear and how any fixtures would be attached. Ben Harrell said he would consult the owner and return in January with revised details and mounting drawings; the board confirmed it would likely reach a final decision after that short follow-up presentation.

The board also discussed using the upcoming sign-retreat workshop to refine criteria for branded residential signage and to consider consistency across housing and commercial categories.