Architectural board approves Mills Corner sign program after debate over branding and a small size waiver

The Carpinteria City Architectural Review Board on May 28 approved a comprehensive sign program for 5030 Carpinteria Avenue, a one-building retail center rebranded by the owners as "Mills Corner." Marisol Smith, the city planner, told the board the proposal complies with most sign standards but that suite 5032 exceeds the frontage-based allowance by about 5½ square feet and therefore needs a modification under findings the staff report summarized.

"We do feel that a justification can be made for a modification for tenant suite number three particularly under findings A and E," Marisol Smith said, describing how the suite reads as part of a larger facade and the proposed sign is proportional and symmetrical.

Dan Morris of Freedom Signworks, who prepared the sign program for the owners, said the plan aims to unify tenant signage and provide a building identity to assist leasing. He described materials as mid-century–style aluminum letters, vinyl applied to acrylic for the tenant directory and reuse of an existing cabinet on the brick element facing Carpinteria Avenue.

Board Member Wolf questioned whether Carpinteria has a separate "branding" policy for buildings; Smith said the city reviews signs under the sign code but does not regulate building branding beyond sign-area standards. Wolf and other members raised aesthetic concerns about adding a building name on a relatively small corner building and asked about lighting and the practicalities of changing tenant names.

"It makes more sense to me that it would be done in strips or individual panels so that it can circulate out and it's not a dated sign instantly every time tenants switch out," Board Member Wolf said; Morris replied that vinyl lettering is removable and individual names can be replaced without reprinting a full panel.

Members praised the clarity of the sign program and asked staff to require warm-color LED conversion for the existing illuminated cabinet. Smith also corrected two historical errors in her staff report after receiving a public comment: the surname is "Mills" (not "Mill") and the historic business was the "Mills Drugstore." The applicant agreed to omit the apostrophe and use "Mills Corner."

After discussion, Chair Sher Blakemore moved to approve the sign program with comments on lighting and the spelling; the motion was seconded and approved.

The board's action is a recommendation that, because the item was before the Architectural Review Board for preliminary and final review, moves the project forward under the city's sign-modification process and allows staff to apply the board's design comments during permit review. Specific permit conditions include converting the existing wall cabinet to LED with warm color temperature and applying the agreed historical spelling.

The staff report and two public comment letters are on file with the Carpinteria Community Development Department. The board recorded no public testimony on the item at the meeting; the applicant and staff were present.