2019-07-23 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes

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Commissioner Smith asked if Universal Signs had been involved with the last signs that had had to be taken down. The applicant, Chase Villafana, introduced himself, and answered that it had been a different sign company. He stated that Planet Fitness had initially been advised that as long as the sign size matched the Borders variance, it would be approved, and that since that had not been true, they were trying to comply with the code and not seek a variance. Commissioner Kern asked who had given them such advice. Mr. Villafana responded that he did not want to mention the names, but that they were local consultants and expediters that Plant Fitness had hired. He agreed with Commissioner Kern that they had been ill-advised. Commissioner Smith brought to Mr. Muro's attention that the last signs had not had an electrical permit for the illumination. Asked by Commissioner Smith, Mr. Muro stated on the record that the applicant would obtain an electrical permit in order to illuminate the signs. Also asked by Commissioner Smith, Mr. Villafana confirmed that the three existing banners would be taken down when the new signs were put up. Chairman Roth opened the floor for discussion. Commissioner Ikeuchi commented that she was displeased with the applicant's justification that just because something had been approved decades ago, it should be grandfathered in. She said that especially because she had not been on the Commission then, she could disregard comparison with the past sign and focus on what was before the Commission now. She then asked the other commissioners' opinion about light shining on the sign or the sign being backlit, instead of each letter being individually illuminated from the inside. Commissioner Ching responded that in his opinion the proposed lighting method would be more subtle and classier. He also said that he had been quite annoyed by their unpermitted signs and would have filed a complaint himself, if Commissioner Hetherington and Mr. Van Pernis had not done so, especially because the applicant had previously talked about it with the Commission at the initial design review meeting and therefore had been aware of the requirement for sign permit; however, after having been faced with considerable opposition from the community, they had acknowledged their mistake and had come back with a more presentable application in trying to get it right, and because of that the Commission should look at their merit. Chairman Roth, in response to Commissioner Ikeuchi's question about the lighting methods, said that it would be difficult to have light shining on the signs because the building was large with no eaves near them, that the lighting fixture could actually make the signs more distracting, and that the purple letters would not be so bright as white, even if they were lit from the inside. Commissioner Crusat inquired about two different shades of the letter color being presented. Mr. Muro confirmed that the purple color as shown on the presentation copy was the true color. Ms. Newlon added that the color on the Commissioners' copies appeared more like fuchsia due to color copy quality. Upon inquiry by Commissioner Ikeuchi, Mr. Villafana stated that the business was open 24 hours a day. Commissioner Sullenberger commented that while the other businesses in the same building were open only during normal business hours and therefore did not need their signs lit, illumination would serve Planet Fitness better because they were open in the evening. Commissioner Ikeuchi agreed that it mattered to the applicant to have signs illuminated during their business hours. 7