Design Review Board approves downtown Salina Chamber signage with conditions

The Salina Design Review Board on May 14 approved a sign package for two Salina Area Chamber of Commerce properties in downtown Salina, allowing a new wall sign, tenant face-change panels and a recovered awning, subject to five conditions set by staff.

Staff presented application CC26-004 filed by Lumineo Signs on behalf of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce and explained the item had been continued from the April 23 meeting after the applicant revised a proposed roof sign to a wall sign. Planning staff said the primary building at 120 West Ash would get a non-illuminated aluminum wall sign measuring 7 feet by 3 feet (about 21.4 square feet), three tenant face-change panels of about 7 square feet each on the west side, and removal of an existing 42-square-foot channel-letter roof sign. The chamber annex at 218 North 7th Street would have its awning recovered and reinstalled with an approximately 7-by-1-foot-8-inch awning sign (about 11.1 square feet).

Why it matters: staff told the board the proposed signage is within the C-4 district sign-area and sign-count limits, and that the revised wall sign was the key change since the April continuance. Staff recommended approval with conditions to address code and installation details that remain unresolved before permitting.

Staff flagged three technical compliance items the board addressed in conditions. First, design staff pointed out the awning as shown on the submitted plans sits about 7 feet above grade while Salina code section 42-5-07 requires a minimum clear height of 8 feet; staff recommended a condition requiring revised plans demonstrating the awning provides the required 8-foot clearance before an awning sign permit is issued. Second, staff recommended removal of an apparently abandoned wall sign on the east facade of 120 West Ash (the code’s abandoned-sign requirement appears in section 42-5-10) and proposed that removal be required within 90 days of issuance of any sign permit for the address. Third, staff recommended a condition that any significant changes to the approved design or materials be reviewed administratively to determine whether additional board review is required; staff also asked that mounting points be sealed and any facade damage repaired when the awning is removed and reinstalled.

Applicant Megan Schafer, introduced at the podium, confirmed the project team’s intent to meet the clearance requirement and to seal any penetrations to avoid water damage. Schafer said the face changes would update tenant logos and that the team had revised the proposal to move the previously proposed roof sign to a wall-mounted sign.

Board action: a board member moved to approve Option 2 (approval with staff conditions); the motion was seconded and carried unanimously.

What the approval requires next: the conditions require the applicant to submit revised awning plans showing 8 feet of clearance prior to issuance of an awning sign permit, remove the abandoned east-facade sign consistent with section 42-5-10 within 90 days of permit issuance, remove the existing channel-letter roof sign prior to or concurrent with the new wall sign installation, and ensure mounting points are sealed and any facade damage repaired. Staff will work with the applicant on administrative reviews and sign-permit-level details.

No public comments were received online or in the room for this item. The board’s decision is subject to the standard 14-day appeal period noted by staff.