Peekskill preservation board approves signage and lighting plan for Church of the Assumption

The Peekskill Historical Landmark and Preservation Board voted to approve a certificate of appropriateness for signage, lighting and site materials for the Church of the Assumption during its meeting, with the approval conditioned on receipt of final amended plans and product specifications.

The architect presenting the application said the team simplified the corner monument sign (removing the longer “Church of the Assumption of Mary” line and an ornamental fourth-line inscription) and provided dimensioned sketches to show fabrication and scale. “We simplified the corner sign,” the Architect/Applicant representative said, adding the design uses pin-mounted letters to keep the sign largely see-through to preserve sightlines at the Union/1st Street intersection.

Board members pressed the applicant on lighting details. The architect presented a dedicated lighting plan listing three fixture types and associated lamp specifications, including CRI, brightness and Kelvin ratings, and said two fixture types are available only as integrated 2,700-Kelvin modules. A board member noted the city standard of 3,000 Kelvin and asked whether fixtures could be changed; the architect said a 3,000-K option could be sourced for at least one fixture type but that the integrated fixture would remain 2,700 K unless replaced.

On façade lighting, board members asked about illuminating a proposed cross. The architect said backlighting with an LED strip would require modifying the cross and a visually intrusive conduit; instead he proposed two uplight spotlights at that location. “I think, for the—I’ll speak for myself—this light fixture is great,” a Board member said during the discussion.

The applicant also presented material samples: paver blocks that, he said, match the paver used in Peekskill’s downtown sidewalk infill and a chamfered-edge option preferred for its historic look and lower trip-hazard risk. Father Esteban, representing the Church of the Assumption, said two white marble statues dated to 1897 (Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Dominique) were in storage and would be chosen and power-washed for the site.

Staff and board members asked that the final approval be contingent on submittal of a complete set of amended construction drawings and manufacturer make-and-model information for finishes and fixtures. One board member requested the finish and product pages be provided for the record; the Architect/Applicant representative agreed to forward catalog pages and revise the drawings.

After those conditions were noted on the record, the chair called for a motion to approve the application. The board voted in favor, and the chair confirmed the certificate of appropriateness had been approved with the stated documentation requirement. Earlier in the meeting, the board had also approved the minutes from the March 26, 2026 meeting. The board adjourned and set its next meeting for 2026-05-28.