Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Signs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sutton Cinemas sign exception recommended with night limits and no animation
Summary
The committee recommended the Planning Commission approve a sign exception for an illuminated LED display at Sutton Cinemas with conditions including daytime/nighttime color controls, a nighttime curfew to be finalized with planning staff, a prohibition on flashing/animated content, dimming capability and removal of the sign if the theater vacates the space.
The Development Review Committee recommended approval of a sign exception for Sutton Cinemas (25 PLN-0042), endorsing a small internally illuminated LED display mounted on a beam at the Sutton theater with restrictions to limit glare, animation and nighttime light spillage.
Vanessa Franken, associate planner, described the proposal as a sub‑five‑square‑foot LED display designed to show simple images via USB input and noted that the sign is capable of dimming and that planning staff added conditions to control brightness. The planning division recommended a black background at night to limit perceived brightness while allowing the applicant daytime flexibility.
Operator Brian Young told the committee that attendance at local theaters has fallen and that "the addition of this sign will help us" by increasing visibility and bringing more foot traffic to Sutton Cinemas. Committee members questioned the display’s effective viewing distance, asked whether the sign would operate 24 hours, and pressed for measures to avoid flashing or animated sequences that could become a public nuisance.
The committee’s modified approval included conditions discussed at the hearing: require a daytime/black-at-night color scheme (daytime/black-night requirement discussed and to be clarified at Planning Commission), capability to dim, a set nightly curfew for illumination to be finalized with staff (DRC debated 9 p.m. vs. up to 11 p.m. or close of business), prohibition on flashing/animated imagery, and a condition that the sign be removed if the theater tenant leaves. Franken said the planning division would tighten the curfew language for the Planning Commission packet.
The motion passed with the committee’s modified conditions and will be transmitted to the Planning Commission, which will make the final determination and may refine the exact curfew and technical brightness standards.
