Planning & Zoning board gives positive recommendation for Kids Play marquee and façade updates at 61 Main Street

The Torrington Planning & Zoning Board voted to give a positive recommendation for a proposal to add a new 7‑foot marquee, backlit signage and limited façade repairs at 61 Main Street, the site proposed for a children’s museum and family‑oriented uses.

Board members and the applicant presented plans showing a painted aluminum composite marquee (referred to in the presentation as a ’Luca bond’ style panel), recessed downlighting at the entrance and automatic doors to improve accessibility. The applicant said the marquee would project about 7 feet over the sidewalk and that letters would be internally illuminated and on a time clock to shut off at night.

The board’s discussion focused on how local sign rules treat marquees: staff and members said a past court case led the Planning and Zoning Commission to fold gas‑station canopy signage into the same marquee regulations, severely limiting allowable area in practical calculations. As staff explained, that interpretation can leave only about 17 square feet of allowable signage under current formulas when only the marquee’s front is counted; the applicant and members urged separating marquee signage from gas‑station canopy rules so downtown marquees aren’t unduly constrained. “So I think if we just work on breaking those two regulations apart and just having marquee signage and deal with this gas station stuff in its own separate [rule],” the chair said during the discussion.

Members also weighed design concerns. Multiple board members suggested toning down the pastel, multicolored scheme shown in one representation so the sign reads as a storefront entrance rather than a “Disney‑store” style display; commenters favored a darker blue background with white lettering so the name remains legible both day and night. The applicant said they are open to adjusting colors and confirmed they will pursue the formal sign permit; staff noted the sign permit review and any required historic‑review process would occur when the permit and building permits are filed.

A motion to recommend approval for the 61 Main Street marquee and façade changes passed after members voiced approval during the roll call. The applicant and staff said they will move the sign permit forward to the Planning and Zoning Commission and that state review tied to existing grant funding is expected within a few weeks.

Next steps: the applicant will submit the sign permit application to the Planning and Zoning Commission and to state reviewers as required; staff and a subset of board members indicated they will draft language to clarify marquee versus canopy signage in local regulations.