Published in the January 14, 2019 edition.
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — Liberty Mazda at 81 Bay State Rd. will be changing its signage, including the familiar, tall white sign that faces Route 128. Last week, the Zoning Board of Appeals approved proposed sign modifications as part of Mazda’s corporate rebranding.
Representing the car dealership, attorney Brian McGrail explained last Wednesday that the request involved taking down the existing 15-foot tall white freestanding sign with blue letters that can be seen from the highway. A new two-sided sign of the same size will be installed close to the site of the old one. Consistent with Mazda’s rebranding program, the new sign will be black with the word “Mazda” and the company logo internally illuminated. McGrail also noted that LED trim along the sides of the sign will also be illuminated.
Two smaller, directional signs of the same color and style will be placed along Bay State Road in front of the dealership to direct customers to sales and service areas, respectively. They will each also have the word “Mazda” and the logo illuminated along with the directional arrow.
McGrail explained that consistent with previous ZBA decisions, the internally illuminated directional signs will be shut off at 9:30 p.m. The tall, two-sided sign that faces the highway will stay on all night, again consistent with previous ZBA decisions.
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The ZBA also approved modifications to the signage for Pride Self-Storage at 2 Centre St. Both the building and the storage business are owned by Robert Santonelli of Lynnfield.
ZBA member Jim McBain explained that the signage had been the subject of two meetings of the Sign Review Board, which McBain chairs.
The changes include the addition of a projecting bracket sign on the side of the building facing Centre Street and a lion’s head logo on the wall surface next to the entrance doorway. McBain explained that since there is no office on site, he was OK with allowing the contact phone number to be on the glass doorway along with the street number.
He said that the aggregate sign area would be 56.7 square feet, just over the allowable 50 square feet. He said that the Sign Review Board felt that the proposed changes provided some needed identification to the location.
Santonelli added that the purpose of the projecting sign was to give the business some visibility from Main Street, since its location is somewhat hidden away. He was asked if that would eliminate the need for the A-frame sign that had been placed outside previously, and Santonelli agreed that the A-frame would go away.
The ZBA granted the necessary relief to allow the requested changes.
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The board approved a sign for “Leaf and Ginger,” the new organic juice bar serving soups and sandwiches that now occupies the former Subway store at 384 Main St.
McBain said that the sign for the new business will be the same size as the Subway sign was. The owner of Leaf and Ginger said that he planned to use the old sign brackets to mount the new sign and the same external lights that were approved for the Subway sign will be used to illuminate the new sign.
The approved sign will be framed aluminum with white raised acrylic lettering.
The owner also promised not to exceed the 10 percent of window space allowed for signage.
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The board issued findings and granted requested relief to Daljinder Mann and Kamaljit Kaur related to a two-home subdivision at 291 Salem St. Representing the petitioners, attorney Brian McGrail reminded the ZBA that the Planning Board had already approved the subdivision with a waiver for frontage.
McGrail reviewed minor revisions to the decision as well as conditions that will apply to the subdivision prior to the board’s unanimous approval of three variances and one Special Permit related to the project.
