Design Review Board

City of Beverly Design Review Board September 14, 2023 Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 4 CITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES BOARD OR COMMISSION: City of Beverly Design Review Board DATE: September 14, 2023 LOCATION: Beverly City Hall, 191 Cabot Street, 3rd Floor, Conference Room A MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Jon Ouellette, Caroline Mason, Ellen Flannery MEMBERS ABSENT: Vice-Chair Rachel Poor STAFF PRESENT: Associate Planner Jared Contrada RECORDER: Naomi Moca Chair Ouellette calls the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 1. Applications: a. Batten Bros., Inc., 893 Main Street, Wakefield, MA 01880. Sign: Beth Israel Health Beverly Hospital, 500 Cummings Center. Jeff Sarra of Batten Bros. Signs and Awnings is present and states that the existing sign at the site has the old logo for Northeast Health Systems and that the application is part of re-branding. The application is to upgrade and rebrand the existing deteriorating sign and install new signage for the Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine Center. Ouellette expresses his desire for all the signs on the facade of 500 Cummings to be uniform. Sarra states that Cummings Properties has reviewed and approved the design to comply with their guidelines. The color will match the building and there will be individual channel letters on the raceway. Flannery: Motion to approve the signage for Beth Israel Health Beverly Hospital, 500 Cummings Center, Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine Center as presented. Mason seconds. Motion carries (3-0). b. Sydney Ortega, 281 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915. Simply Placed, 281 Cabot Street. The applicant is not present. Flannery states that she observed the site and that the sign is symmetrical and blends with the surroundings and appears compliant. The Board discusses that the design has a white background with black lettering. Flannery: Motion to approve the signage for Simply Placed, 281 Cabot Street as presented. Seconded by Mason. Motion carries (3-0). c. Monarch Communities Management LLC, 7939 Honeygo Blvd., Suite 124, Nottingham, MD 21236. The Current Beverly Senior Living, 3 Essex Street. 1  City of Beverly Design Review Board September 14, 2023 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 4 General Counsel Peter McCarthy of Monarch Communities and Rick Cameron design engineer are present. The Board discusses the history of the building. McCarthy states that the signage is for the front. There is an existing sign, but the building is under new ownership and has a new name. The site is in a historic district and the applicant is mindful to keep the design within the square footage requirements. McCarthy states that City Building Inspector Jim Butler was happy with the design as it is smaller than the existing sign. The sign will be made out of aluminum and “Beverly Senior Living” will be stencil painted. An engineering design is included in the application to demonstrate how the sign will be stabilized in the ground. The Board discusses that the base of the 6-inch square aluminum tube is a PVC architectural material. McCarthy explains that the goal is for the sign to last long term; thus, the materials were selected with durability in mind. The Board discusses that the entrance is no longer at the front of the building, as it was when it was a school, so this sign is placed where people will be entering the building. The applicant also considered that it is on a one-way street so the sign’s location will be helpful for wayfinding. The Board discusses that the design may have to go before the ZBA for a special permit for a freestanding sign. McCarthy asks if the lighting on the sign needs to be approved by the Board, and Contrada recommends consulting with the Building Inspector. Flannery: Motion to approve The Current Beverly Senior Living, 3 Essex Street as presented with the condition that the suggested lighting for the signage be focused only on the sign. Seconded by Mason. Motion carries (3-0). The Board discusses that this sign is in a challenging area, but that it is definitely necessary. The Board discusses that the new sign ordinance may help to reduce the grandfathering of noncompliant designs in the future. d. Salem Five Bank, 140 Rantoul Street, Beverly, MA 01915. Salem Five Bank, 140 Rantoul Street. Sarah Sargent, Integrated Marketing Manager for Salem Five, is present and states that the newest Salem Five branch opened on Rantoul Street with two 24 by 36-inch A-frame sandwich boards signs to draw attention to the new branch. One sign, which is permitted on public property, is on the Rantoul Street sidewalk in front of the business, and the second sign is located in the back courtyard facing Railroad Avenue and Odell Park. It is freestanding and is brought indoors daily at the close of business. Sargent states that it is not necessarily intended to be permanent, so the messaging will be re-evaluated in March when this permit expires. The colors match the bank logo’s color scheme. The Board discusses that the second sign requires a special permit from the ZBA, and that all sandwich board signs require City Council approval. 2  City of Beverly Design Review Board September 14, 2023 Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 4 Flannery: Motion to approve the sandwich board sign for Salem Five Bank, 140 Rantoul Street as presented and to recommend that the ZBA grant a special permit for a second sandwich board on the Railroad Avenue side of the bank. Seconded by Mason. Motion carries (3-0). The Board discusses that the City Council must approve all sandwich board signs and the requirement is driven by the need for accessibility for pedestrians of all kinds. e. Poyant Signs, 125 Samuel Barnet Boulevard, New Bedford, MA 02745. Carbon Health at CVS, 19 Dodge Street. Gary McCoy of Poyant Signs, Inc. is present on behalf of the applicant and states that there was a legal issue with the wording of the original sign that was approved at the August 3, 2023 meeting, so today he is seeking approval for this modification of all five signs (one Primary facade, two window transoms, and two business hours plaques). The branding for Carbon Health is being changed so that now the sign will state CVS Clinic within Carbon Health. The design is the same type of sign as before. The Board notes that the heart logo is an existing part of the CVS branding. Mason: Motion to approve Carbon Health at CVS, 19 Dodge Street as presented, with the provision that all the modifications are included. Seconded by Ouellette. Motion carries (3-0). f. Express Signs, 290 Littleton Road, Unit 4, Chelmsford, MA 01824. Garden City Church, 143 Bridge Street. The applicant is not present. The Board discusses that the design exceeds the size parameters, so the applicant would have to either reduce the size by 12 square feet or go before the ZBA. The Board discusses the location, and Contrada states that he received a reply from the applicant to his email, which he understood to be confirming attendance today. The Board discusses that there is a temporary sign in place currently. Contrada calls the applicant and there is no answer. Contrada agrees to reach out to the applicant to request their attendance at the October 5, 2023 meeting. 2) New Business a. Draft meeting minutes i. July 13, 2023 ii. August 3, 2023 Flannery: Motion to accept the July 13, 2023 and August 3, 2023 meeting minutes as presented. Seconded by Ouelette. Motion carries (3-0). 3. Adjourn Ouellette: Motion to adjourn. Flannery seconds. Motion carries (3-0). 3  City of Beverly Design Review Board September 14, 2023 Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 4 Meeting adjourns at 7:15 p.m. The next meeting will be Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. 4