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Developers seek three monument signs, pitch curated tenant mix for Oakland Town Center
Summary
Project team asked for three ground signs (two with minor area deviations) to serve as gateway monuments and described a targeted mix of health, wellness and local restaurant tenants to create a 'sense of place.' Board members questioned sign count and tenant naming.
The applicant asked the Appearance Review Board for three ground signs at the center's primary entrances and described a curated set of tenants the team hopes to attract.
Staff noted the land development code normally permits a single ground sign, and the applicant requested a deviation for two of the three proposed monument signs to increase maximum sign area slightly. The project team described the third sign as a gateway feature that would "announce the center" and also serve as an entry marker for Oakland. "It's more of like, you know, welcome to the town center and also welcome to Oakland," the project representative said when explaining the intent behind the third sign.
On tenants, the leasing representative (Alexi) told the board the team is targeting community-centric concepts — a mix of regional and local food operators, health and wellness uses (for example, SolidCore Pilates, Barry's Boot Camp), and curated local concepts — to avoid a "cookie-cutter" center and foster walkable, longer-stay uses. Board members requested clarification on how many tenant names would be displayed and the sign siting relative to the retaining wall and right-of-way; the applicant said the monument would be set back from the intersection and integrated with landscape treatment.
