Developers propose two‑sign package for 445 East State Street; board seeks smaller scale and alternate fonts

Brian Bouchard, CHA project engineer, and Mike Paluga, vice president of development for Peakmeade Real Estate, presented a sign package for 445 East State Street at the Ithaca Planning and Development Board Project Review Committee meeting on May 8, 2026. The proposal would install two signs: a 42.5‑square‑foot blade sign on the State Street façade and a matching 12‑square‑foot sign at the creekside pedestrian and vehicular entrance. Bouchard said the larger sign would not be internally illuminated and would be lit at night with 3,000K gooseneck fixtures.

The presentation framed the signs as a response to the building’s scale and the site’s Central Business District context, while acknowledging the zoning code’s residential sign limitation. "We have 376 residential units in this building," Bouchard said, explaining why the team views the structure as larger than a typical residential house and therefore appropriate for larger signage. Paluga added that the team moved one sign from a trellis to a blade configuration to improve wayfinding and reduce clutter.

Board members generally welcomed the move away from the earlier scripted lettering and arch placement but pressed for changes to size, placement and legibility. Member Andy Rollman asked the team to show a direct comparison to earlier presentations so the board can see what changed; Rollman singled out the larger sign’s new vertical placement and increased projection as likely focal points of the full‑board discussion. "I think the discussion is really gonna focus on this big sign and it is it in the right place?" Rollman said, asking whether the sign would impede balcony views or feel too dominant on the façade.

Member Mitch Glass said the entry‑sign location made sense but recommended scaling the sign to about 80 percent of the proposed size as a potential compromise. He also criticized the new logotype’s readability and asked the applicants to supply alternatives. Staff planner Nikki Sarah suggested adjusting contrasting colors and font treatment so the lettering reads more clearly from pedestrian vantage points.

The developers flagged a practical constraint: structural backing and steel support are needed for the sign, so timing and final details affect construction sequencing. Mike Paluga said future site changes — including a planned Alpha Phi Alpha monument at the northwest corner — motivated the team to place signage where it would remain visible.

Next steps: the applicants agreed to provide alternate sign sizes, a refined lettering option, and updated renderings. Staff said revised materials should be submitted by May 20 to be placed on the Planning and Development Board agenda for the May 26 evening meeting.

The committee did not vote on the sign package; members requested the alternatives and additional context for the full board review.