Signs
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The primary function of signs is the identification of buildings, businesses, and the district. Well-designed, well-located, and well-executed signs contribute to the character and vibrancy of the district while also supporting the businesses in the district and assisting with directing customers. All signs must be subordinate to and in harmony with the buildings to which they relate and to the district. Historic photographic evidence of original sign design and placement within the district or on similar buildings provides a useful model for designing and positioning new signs.
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Overall Considerations
13.1 Consider all signage that may be necessary for the building. The overall objective should be established to ensure the appropriate amount and placement of signage as well as consistency. For multi-tenant buildings, a sign plan addressing all potential signage should be submitted to guide installation across the building.
a. A multi-tenant building should use a tenant panel or directory sign on the first floor, rather than installing multiple large signs at each business on the first floor and upper levels.
13.2 All signage must meet the building and zoning requirements in addition to these design guidelines. Consult each for requirements on size, number of signs, and installation before seeking HPC approval.
13.3 Signage should be designed at the pedestrian scale to add to the visual interest of the surroundings and fit with the historic character of the district.
Central tenant sign for a multi-tenant building to the side of a main entrance.
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Pedestrian scaled signs (marquee signs) located in front of each business entrance.
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Murals
Murals can be considered signage depending on content, however to provide comprehensive recommendations on murals, the guidance is located in Site and Landscape design under Artwork.
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Installation
13.4 Signs installed on buildings should not disfigure or conceal significant architectural features of a building.
a. Signs should be placed in appropriate locations such as a historic sign band or in areas lacking architectural detail.
13.5 Signs should be installed using existing anchor systems when available, and if not, should avoid damage to the structure by anchoring into mortar joints rather than drilling into brick, stone, or other masonry.
13.6 If conduit must be placed external to the building, it should be located where the wall plane changes and can be obscured from view and where visible painted to match the exterior wall color.
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Example of limited amount of conduit and wiring exposed on the building to illuminate the sign.
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Material
13.7 Sign materials compatible with the building facade and district should be used. This includes traditional durable materials such as metal, metal composite, wood, and paint.
13.8 Where new or synthetic materials are necessary, they should have the appearance and durability of historic materials.
13.9 Do not use plastic face signs, however individual lettering and logos in acrylic material when mounted on a durable material are permitted.
13.10 Highly reflective or translucent finishes should be avoided.
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Appropriate Wall Sign
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Appropriate Painted Sign
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Appropriate Wood Sign
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Prohibited Signs
13.11 Internally Illuminated Cabinet Signs. Existing signs may remain but are encouraged to be replaced with a sign compliant type. Face changes will not be approved.
13.12 Translucent awnings of plastic or vinyl materials with interior illumination.
13.13 Electronic Display Signs
13.14 Flashing Signs
13.15 Billboards will not be approved in the landmark district because the graphic design and changeable nature of their messages are seldom appropriate in appearance to a district.
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The above internally illuminated cabinet and changeable copy signs would not be appropriate in a historic district or on a historic landmark.
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Illumination
13.16 Illumination should be either externally shielded to spotlight wall signs, awnings or projecting signs, backlit to create a halo effect, or exposed to form individual letters (usually in a metal channel).
a. For externally shielded lights, simple designs such as a gooseneck lamp or simple contemporary fixture should be used.
13.17 Window signs in brightly lit storefronts are encouraged as they provide attractive signs at night and increase the ambient light on the sidewalk for pedestrians.
13.18 While neon signs were not common in a warehouse district setting, they would add to the character of the district. Additional signs with exposed neon tubing, either in the form of signs within windows, or projecting exterior signs, will be carefully reviewed on a case-by-case basis for their traditional quality of design, appropriateness to the individual building, and overall impact on the streetscape.
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The image above shows gooseneck lighting to illuminate the sign with indirect lighting.
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The neon sign above is an iconic element in the Haymarket Historic District.
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Treatment of Historic Signs
13.19 Existing historic signs (generally older than 50 years) should be retained when they contribute to the history of the building, serve as a focal point for the neighborhood, and/or convey the historic product, business, or service provided in the building.
13.20 Historic signs should be maintained and repaired as necessary, replacing damaged parts with replicas where possible.
13.21 Limit damage to the building if a historic sign is to be removed. Should damage be unavoidable, consider leaving the historic sign in tact if it does not pose a safety concern.
13.22 Historic painted wall signs should be left exposed as a “ghost sign.” Restoration of the sign could create confusion as to the original age of the sign.
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Maintenance of the Lincoln Hide and Fur Building signage shown above.
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Residential Signs
In addition to the guidance in the previous sections, the following guidelines apply to signs on buildings built for residential use that have been converted to commercial use. Many of these converted buildings have an approved special permit for historic preservation that are also subject to Section 27.69.160 of the zoning code.
13.23 Signs for residential buildings converted to commercial uses that remain in a residential setting should be limited to one or two signs depending on the number of tenants in the building and the scale of the building.
13.24 Signs attached to the outside of the building, typically adjacent to the front door, should be scaled appropriately to the building and not obscure architectural details.
13.25 Ground signs are permitted when they do not obscure the view to the front of the building.
13.26 Door signs should not obscure views into the building when historically visibility was present.
The above freestanding sign identifies tenants of a former house converted to an office use.
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Commercial Signs
In addition to the guidance in the previous sections, the following guidelines apply to signs on commercial or institutional buildings.
Wall
13.27 On principal facades, signs formed of individual letters applied directly to the wall, or attached to a background panel with a frame, are often appropriate.
13.28 Wall signs painted on or applied to wood or metal panels can also be appropriate.
13.29 Wall signs should be scaled to relate to the whole facade and installed in the flat “sign band” area above the storefront level, or below the cornice.
a. When using the sign band, provide space between the edge of the sign and the edge of the sign band.
13.30 On side and rear walls, painted wall signs were commonly used. A black band with white letters and a white border was the most common color scheme, but yellows, greens, and other bright, primary colors were also incorporated into these signs.
a. In some instances, painted walls signs were used on principal facades, but these must be very carefully considered and very well integrated with the architecture.
13.31 For wall signs intended to identify the building and not a single tenant, the sign color(s) should be complementary to the building. For individual tenant signs, color is not reviewed.
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The wall sign above is too large to fit within the open space between the buff brick boarder. A smaller sign would fit better within the sign band area.
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The above wall sign is scaled to fit below the corbeled brick cornice and does not compete with the architecture of the building.
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Banners
13.32 Banner signs are allowed for business openings or marketing a product/event and are allowed for up to 60 days per calendar year.
13.33 Banner signs must be used to promote the business grand opening or an event on a temporary basis. Banners cannot be just the business name intended as a permanent sign.
13.34 Banners identifying the district as a whole or an ongoing district event may remain for a longer duration and be installed in the public right-of-way. Signs must be attached to separate poles meant to hold the banner sign (cannot use existing light poles).
13.35 Permanent banner signs are prohibited.
Example of a temporary banner for an event. The installation does not obscure architectural details on the building and is located higher up in the window, allowing visibility at eye level.
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Ground/Freestanding
13.36 A freestanding sign can be either a frame mounted to poles or a have a solid base.
13.37 Signs should avoid detracting from or obscuring features of the historic building and district.
13.38 Ground signs in pedestrian oriented districts like Haymarket or Havelock are permitted only when it can be demonstrated that the building is too far from the adjacent street to permit a legible wall sign.
Freestanding sign mounted to a pole for the Harris House Local Landmark.
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Marquee (Canopy and Awning)
13.39 Pedestrian marquee signs typically hang beneath the marquee perpendicular to the building and identify individual tenants in the building. Signs mounted on the outside of the marquee parallel to the building are also permitted. Only one sign per tenant is permitted.
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Two types of marquee signage are shown above, mounted to the marquee roof perpendicular to the shop as well as the neon sign mounted.
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13.40 Pedestrian marquee signs should fit within the columns and/or walls supporting the marquee and not be mounted to these supports.
a. Ideal installation is to hang signs from the marquee roof using simple brackets.
13.41 Marquee signs are also allowed in the public right-of-way if permanently affixed to permitted architectural features such as loading docks or stair railings.
13.42 Signs on canopies should not remove or alter architectural details when mounted.
13.43 Signage should not project outside the edges of the canopy and instead be contained within the area; however, signs may be mounted above or below the canopy.
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Shown above is an example of signage mounted above the canopy, but within the edges.
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13.44 On an awning, messages should be confined to the valance area (bottom edge) as was historically the case. If serving as the only signage for the building, the body of the awning may be used to identify the business. For guidance on awning design see the Awnings and Canopies section.
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The above canvas canopy illustrates the ideal location of the business name in the valance area.
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Windows and Doors
13.45 Signs for individual businesses are often most appropriately installed in windows, usually by painting or applying individual letters on the glass.
13.46 Supplemental information on products and services are most appropriate in a window sign.
13.47 Avoid repeating wording and logos in every window, and limit to just once.
13.48 Window signs should cover no more than 20 percent of a window area and be placed to maintain visibility into the space at eye level.
13.49 Door signs should be a simple business identification with name, address, hours of operation, and logo.
a. Door signs should be no greater than 4 square feet in area.
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The above window sign is simple and scaled to the opening, however it’s placement obscures views into the building. Moving the logo to the window pane above would allow better visibility.
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Projecting and Blade
13.50 Projecting signs can either identify the building or individual businesses. The former should usually be designed and positioned to relate to the building, while the latter should usually be smaller in area and relate to a specific storefront or entrance when located on a multitenant building.
13.51 Three dimensional iconographic signs should be well crafted and represent the business with limited text.
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Projecting sign identifying the building which is positioned in the center of a pilaster.
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Roof
13.52 On-premise roof signs may be permitted for commercial buildings, including signs projecting above the top of the roof, if evidence of a previous roof sign at that location can be produced. Careful evaluation will be given to the traditional design, appropriateness to the architectural design of a particular building, location in the district, and appropriateness relative to other types of signs for the building in question.
a. The height of roof signs shall be no greater than 2.5 feet of sign height per story of the building with a maximum height of 10 feet.
b. Individual illuminated letters are preferred to billboard type of signs.
c. Visual impact of the supports should be minimized.
d. The roof sign shall only identify the building or its principal use.
e. All roof signs require approval by the HPC.
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Example of historic roof signage on the Huber Building (801 Q Street) in addition to painted signage and fold up canvas canopies.
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Special Signs
13.53 Permanent kiosks, not to exceed 12 feet in height, may be approved in the public right-of-way in commercial districts only.
Sign area for the kiosks must provide 30% of the area for public information, district-wide notices, or historical plaques, photos, or information.
a. Design and materials should be of a durable construction that fits with the district character.
b. No more than one kiosk per block or corner is permitted.
13.54 One “sandwich board” sign is permitted per first floor business, not to exceed 4 feet in height and 26 inches in width.
a. Signs should only be placed outside the business during business hours and stored inside when closed. When outside, the sign should be weighted down to ensure it does not collapse or blow into the street.
b. Signs should be placed out of the pedestrian walkway and allow a clear path for travel.
c. Sandwich board signs are permitted to be displayed for a period not to exceed 48 hours when in conjunction with a special event and meeting the above requirements.
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The above sandwich board is appropriately scaled and placed out of the pedestrian way in front of the building.
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