ThisWeek CW 12/01/2011
The Canal Winchester Landmarks Commission spent much of its time Nov. 28 dealing with business signs.
Kendra and Carmelita Smith, owners of the new Corner Smith’s store at 1 S. High St., applied for permission to post a chalkboard sign inside a front display window and to remove the Corner Smith name from the black awning currently installed on the face of the building.
“I think that might make it a little harder to find us, but I want that so people come and experience us, to know what we are,” Carmelita Smith said. “The (chalkboard) sign will be just on the interior of the old window. It’s hard to see, but I think that’s OK, because I want it to grow on people. I want this to feel like a new business, but not a temporary business.”
Smith said she and her business partner are working with an architect to redesign the interior and the façade of the building.
“We’re working with architect Brian (Kent) Jones on a long-term plan. I don’t want to jump in and do something I shouldn’t for monetary reasons but also because we are going to be here for a while and want to do justice to the community,” Smith said. “We want to figure out the whole façade and we’ll do the front of the building now and next year deal with the rest of the building.”
The commission voted unanimously to approve the change to the awning and clarified with Smith that there was no need to obtain its approval of the chalkboard sign.
Michael Downing, owner of ZBP Management at 5 S. High St., received permission to add his company sign to the doorway at the front of the building, which currently houses four separate businesses. ZBP Management shares a door with Falcon Technology, he said.
“We looked at every option with having both businesses operating through one door, so instead of having a wooden sign off the building, we decided having signage on the door was the best option,” Downing said. “I tried to stay with (Falcon Technology’s) colors, which changed mine a little bit, but the colors do match quite nicely.”
Commission member Will Bennett said he was concerned about size issues with signs for multiple businesses in a single building. Business signage in the historic district is required to be smaller than nine square feet per business, not per building, according to Landmarks Commission member Patrick Lynch.
“Sizewise, this falls well under the nine square feet,” Lynch said.
The Landmarks Commission also continued to review sections of the city’s preservation district guidelines, focusing Monday on sections dealing with porches, awnings and commercial conversions.
City development director Lucas Haire said any signs on business awnings should be on the valance of the awnings, not on the sides or on the slope.
Flashing and neon signs were also discussed with commission members expressing concern about how those signs affect the historic look of downtown.
“Historically, neon was an appropriate material,” Haire said. “It’s been in use since 1910, so we have to be careful about how we approach that. On the interior of the building, we don’t have anything we can do, but the exterior we can regulate.”
Lynch said the commission will review the guidelines for garages, outbuildings, institutional buildings and demolition considerations at its next meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, at Town Hall.