HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975-06-18 HISTORIC DISTRICTS COMMLSSION
A meeting of the Historic Districts Commission was held on Wednesday,
June 18, 1975 in the Selectmen's Meeting Room, Town Office Building, Lex-
ington. Present were Commissioners Wilbur M. Jaquith, Chairman; Thomas J.
Holzbog; Donald J. Shaw; S. Lawrence Whipple; and Associate Commissioner
Ruth B. Adams. Mrs. Adams was appointed to serve for Commissioner Georgia
H. Williams who was unable to be present. Mr. Shaw moved that Mr. Whipple
serve as Secretary Pro Tem, seconded by Mr. Holzbog, and so VOTED.
A hearing was held at 8s05 P.M. on the application of Shawmut County
Bank for a Certificate with respect to a change in the legend of the free-
standing sign on the premises at 1822 Massachusetts Avenue acid for a Cer-
tificate with respect to the erection and display of a sign for the build-
ing at 20 Worthen Road, which are within the Battle Green District. Mr,
Jaquith read the legal notice and application. Representing the applicant
were Frederick James, Vice President for Branch Management; Paul Maniff,
Vice President in Charge of Marketing; and John Connors of Mack Advertising
Ino. Mr. Connors submitted three scale drawings of the sign proposed for
the free-standing sign at 1822 Massachusetts Avenue. He said that the ex-
isting signboard would be used and that it would be painted white. He said
that the legend would be changed Prom "County Bank" to "Shawmut County Bank"
painted in black letters on both sides of the signboard, that the existing
red border strip on each side of the signboard would be changed to either
black or blue, and that the new Indian logo would be painted in blue above
the legend on eaoh side of the backboard. Mr. Whipple asked if the trim on
the bank was white and Mr. James said that it was cream or off-white. Mr.
Whipple asked if this was the original free-standing sign and Mr. James
said that he thought it was and that it may date back to about 1947. Mr.
Maniff said that they spent two yeas in restylizing the Indian and used as
a model Obbatinewat, Chief of the Shawmut Tribe, who was a very mild Indian.
Mr. Connors submitted three scale drawings of the proposed sign for the
branch bank at 20 Worthen Road. He said that a new plexigla.ss signboard
similar to the existing signboard would be installed and new black plexi-
glass letters with the legend "Shawmut County Bank" would be fixed to the
signboard. The hearing was closed at 8s25 P.M.
An ad3ourned hearing on the application of Sherwin-Williams for chang-
ing the existing signs on the store at 17 Waltham Strret was held at 8:25 P.M.
Robert Pasquerella, Store Manager; Robert White, Merchandizing Supervisor
for the Boston area; and Don and Leo Grasso of The Square 31gn Co. represented
the applicant. Mr. Grasso submitted new drawings. Mr. Jaquith said that he
ob3ected to the "legs" on the letters "LL" and the letters being at the very
top of the sign backboard. It was stated that the letters would be white on
a blue backboard of non-illuminated plastic. Mr. Jaquith stated that at the
original hearing it had been suggested that the letters be centered verti-
oally, the legs on the "LL"a be eliminated, that a blue molding be used, that
fewer colors be used, and that there be one line of lettering instead of two.
Mr. Jaquith said that there era two problems with the new drawings and that
involves centering the letters and the legs on the "LL"s. Mr. White said
HISTORIC DISTRICTS COMMISSION - page 2 June 18. 1975
that this is now the trademark and the company is reluotant to eliminate
the legs on the "LL"s, It was stated that the outside molding would be
white and the inside molding the same color blue as the letters. The front
signboard will be 3' x 27' and the rear signboard will be 2' x 15'. Mr,
Holzbog said that the legs on the "LL"s bother him. Mr. Whipple asked how
many vertical seams there will be and Mr. Grasso said that he thought there
would be three. Mr. Holzbog asked if the seams would show and Mr, Grasso
said that they would not show, Mr, Shaw stated that he would vote to dis-
approve this sign. Mr, Shaw said that he does not object to the letters at
the top of the signboard but that he does object to the legs on the "LL"s,
Mr. Jaquith asked if they would be individual letters and Leo Grasso said
that one mold includes all the letters. He said that this is the standard
spacing for the letters and that the signboard could be expanded but that
the size of the letters could not be changed. Mr. Holzbog said that under
certain cireumstanoes the letters are all right graphically but that h® does
not like the legs on the "LL"s, Mr. Jaquith then polled the members re ap-
proving or disapproving the sign grid the results were as follows: Mr.
Jaquith - yes; ~~Mr. Holzbog - yes; Mr, Shaw - no= Mr. Whipple - yes; and
Mrs. Adams - yes. The sign backboard is to be a matte blue plastic with
aluminum molding of the same blue and will have white plastic matte finish
letters 3/16" thick. The front sign is to have letters 18" in height and
the rear sign is to have letters 12" in height. The hearing was closed at
9:20 P.M.
Mr, Holzbog moved, seconded by Mrs. Adams, and VOTED that a Certificate
of Appropriateness be issued to The Sherwin Williams Co. with respect to the
erection and display of two signs for the store at 17 Waltham Street, which
is within the Battle Green District. Participating in this decision were
Commissioners Wilbur M. Jaquith, Thomas J. Holzbog, S. Lawrence Whipple, and
Associate Commissioner Ruth B. Adams. Co~missioner Donald J. Shaw voted
against approving the application.
An adjourned hearing was held at 9:25 P.M. on the application of Con-
sumer Value Stores with respect to the erection and display of signs for the
store at 1719-1721 Massachusetts Avenue. Mr. Shaw said that the outside sign
on the store in Hyannis is all black letters and is all right but that he ob-
jects to the red letters. Mr. Holzbog said that he would prefer all black
letters. Mr, Teolis said that these are individually molded letters. He
said that they are not a neon letter but interior lit with white halo around
the letters of the word "pharmacy". The letters "CVS" would bA 2', in height
and the letters of the word "pharmacy" would be 14" in height. Mr, Holzbog
said that all black letters would look nice and would improve the appearance
of the sign. It was agreed that the slash line would be eliminated. The
sign on the rear of the store is to have red "CVS" letters. no slash line.
blaok letters for the word "pharmacy", and is not to be lighted, The hearing
was adjourned at 10:25 P.M.
Mr. Jaquith submitted a bill from Goodwin, Proctor & Hoar for $41.01 for
telephoning and photocopying fora two year period. Mr, Shaw moved, seconded
by Mrs. Adams, and VOTED that this bill be approved for payment. Mr. Jaquith
abstained from voting.
HIST~2IC DISTRICTS C01+R~SSION - page $ June 18, 1975
Mr. Jaquith said that h® had called Mr. Chalfin regarding the Brigham
store sign and told him that the Commission would approve the sign if the
letter "B" were made square and the lower case "i" made a capital "I". Mr.
Jaquith said that Brigham': would not agree to these changes and had re-
quested that the Commission disapprove the application. Mr. Holzbog moved
that the application of Hrigham's, Inc. for a sign for the store at 177?
Massachusetts Avenue be disapproved, seconded by Mr. Whipple, and unani-
mously VOTID. Participating in this decision were Commissioners Wilbur M.
Jaquith, Thomas J. Holsbog, Donald J. Shaw, S. Lawrence Whipple, and Asso-
ciate Commissioner Ruth B. Adams,
Mr. Shaw called to the attention of the Commission that he had ob-
served a change in the sign for the former Buttrick store in the shopping
center at the corner of Bedford Street and Worthen Road. It was pointed
out that there had been no application for this sign and that under the
Historic Districts Aet a permit for the erection of this sign could not be
issued by the Building Inspector. IIpon motion of Mr. Shaw, seconded by
Mr. Holzbog, it was VOTED that the Chairman notify the Bui.].ding Inspector
of the erection of the sign and requ®st that appropriate action be taken by
him forthwith. Participating in this decision were Commissioners Wilbur M.
Jaquith, Thomas J. Holsbog, Donald J. Shaw, S. Lawrence Whipple, and Asso-
ciate Commissioner Ruth B. Adams.
Mr. Shaw also stated that the hairdressing salon in the same building
had changed hands and that a new sign should be applied for in accordance
with the provisions of the Historic Districts Act.
It was moved, seconded, and unanimously VOTED to issue a Certificate
of Appropriateness to Shawmut County Bank with respect to changes in the
existing free-standing sign in the grass plot in front of the building on
the premises at 1822 Massachusetts Avenue, which is within the Battle Green
District, It was moved, seoonded, and unanimously VOTED to issue a Certifi-
cate of Appropriateness to Shawmut County Bank with respect to a change in
the existing sign on the building at 2O Worthen Road, which is within the
Battle Green District. Participating in both these decisions were Commis-
sioners Wilbur M. Jaquith, Thomas J. Holzbog, Donald J. Shaw, S. Lawrence
Whipple, and Associate Commissioner Ruth B. Adams.
The meeting was ad3ourned at 11:00 P.M.
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3. Lawrence Whipple
Secretary Pro Tem