Planning Board member Cheryl Crowe, Kristine Fedora and Jay Vinskey of Planning Dept. at an earlier meeting this year. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – Walter Drenen, president of Drenen Financial Services at 89 South Maple St., came before the Planning Board Oct. 15 seeking a special permit for an intermittent moving electronic sign for his business.
“I used to go by a Sunoco station on the way to work (in Ludlow), and he had a tent sign out there that put a cute saying on it every day. The purpose of any sign is to attract attention to your business,” said Drenen, adding he thought the sign would be a great way to do it, by putting a saying in the morning and advertising in the afternoon. He said he prepares 3,000 tax returns a year, and would like to post how many days are remaining in tax season on his sign, as an example. He said currently they have a manual sign, but it’s labor intensive to change the messages on it.
The sign will be double-sided, displaying the message on both sides. Drenen asked what the ordinance was for how frequently the sign could change its message. City Planner Jay Vinskey said the board would set the parameters, but any sign that changes more than once a day is considered a moving sign.
Vinskey said the last moving sign they approved for a special permit set parameters of no less than 60 seconds between changes, and the display could not be flashing or animated. “It doesn’t mean you necessarily have to set them here,” he said.
Drenen gave a drawing of his proposed sign to the board, which displayed an American flag. He said he has seen signs displaying a flag which is waving, and asked whether that would be permissible.
Gary Moren, of Moren Signs in Agawam said his company built a much larger version of the sign for Agawam High School with brick pillars that tie into the building, and the whole town has been thrilled with it. “There haven’t been any negative comments,” he said, adding that they run the waving flag as an intermittent filler between messages.
Moren also said the company which makes the sign has designed it to respond to ambient light, with full brightness during the day, and dimming in the evening.
When asked for hours of operation, Drenen said 24 hours. Vinskey said city-wide they have an 11 p.m. sign extinguishment for lighted signs, unless a business is open.
Moren said the total height of the planned sign, which includes a brick base for flowers, would be approximately the same size as Drenen’s current sign.
City Councilor Cindy Harris of 45 South Maple St. came forward during the public hearing in support of the proposed sign. She said she lives just down from the business, which is across from a gas station. Harris said if they would abide by the hours the board just stated, she thinks it would fit in perfectly.
“Mr. Drenen is an upstanding business person and very reputable, and I think he’s an asset to our community, for sure,” Harris said.
Planning Board chair William Carellas asked if they were to approve the sign, would there be any conditions. The hours were set for illumination from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., with no less than a 60-second change in messages.
The question of whether to allow the flag to wave, which would be considered animation, or to require a static image was discussed.
“That is considered animation, and we have to be careful of the precedence we’re setting,” said Bernard Puza. Cheryl Crowe also expressed the same concerns.
“I don’t fear the animation, as long as we don’t end up looking like the Vegas strip,” Carellas said.
Moren said the manner in which the message appears on the sign, such as if it spreads out from the center, could also be considered animation.
The board set the condition of different messages without scrolling or flashing at no less than 60 second intervals, allowing for the mild animation of a waving flag.
Carellas said he would like to add the condition that the sign automatically dims in the evening hours. Vinskey said it would also have to comply with the lighting ordinance. The special permit was granted unanimously.
