Albany HRC approves two illuminated signs at 540 Broadway despite overlay limits

The Historic Resources Commission approved a certificate of appropriateness for two internally illuminated signs at 540 Broadway, voting to allow the signs in the band between the third and fourth stories despite historic-resource overlay guidance that favors lower placement.

Planning staff told the commission the property already has four exterior signs and the applicant's proposal would bring the total to the maximum six permitted for the structure. Staff recommended moving the two new signs down one story to the second-story band to reduce street-level clutter and to better align with treatment used elsewhere in the downtown district.

During the discussion, planning staff noted, “The addition of the two that Darren Katz is proposing would bring the structure to six signs, which is the maximum it's allowed to have on the structure,” and recommended siting the signs lower on the elevation to mimic examples such as 80 State Street.

Commissioners debated competing considerations: tenant visibility from I-787 and the tenant's desire to have signage near its office versus the overlay's intent to keep signage at a pedestrian scale. One commissioner raised the landlord's concern that moving the signs might not be permitted by the property owner and that the tenant could risk having no signage if the landlord denied a relocation.

A fellow commissioner argued the building's “monumental double-story entry” and its noncontributing status to the historic district justified an exception. In support of a tailored approval, another participant proposed the commission's written findings be narrowly framed to apply to this building's specific architectural features so approval would not automatically extend to unrelated properties.

Unidentified Speaker (S5) moved to approve the sign as proposed "above the third story in the corner," explicitly noting that approval was granted "in spite of the ordinance, in part because this is a noncontributing building within the historic district" and because of the building's double-story cutout arcade. The motion was seconded and the commission voted in favor; the chair announced the motion carried.

The decision directs that the COA be issued for the proposed placement with the record reflecting the listed rationale. Commissioners and staff also discussed language options to limit the approval's applicability to this building's specific conditions to address precedent concerns.

The commission thanked staff for the research and moved on to other agenda items; the vote concluded the only public-hearing item for the evening.