The HTC Sign Advisory Committee told the owner and the prospective tenant of 22 Federal Street on Feb. 4 that any new signage should be part of a master sign plan for the building, which now functions as a multi-tenant property housing Corner Table cafe (basement), the Pip Stop market (first floor), and Nantucket Culinary Center classrooms (third floor).

Andres Solimel, the current tenant and representative for the proposed Pip Stop market, introduced the project as a food market on the first floor. "We're introducing a market on the First Floor in collaboration with Pip and Anchor. It'll be called the Pip Stop," Solimel said. He asked whether the project could use a projecting corner sign similar to the Corner Table sign.

Committee members noted multiple existing signs, menu boxes and a freestanding placard visible in Google Street View and recommended a building-level approach. "I think we need to start treating this building like a multi-tenant structure," Ben Norman said. Members raised concerns about the existing cluster of signage, questioned which signs had prior approvals, and suggested locating tenant signs nearest the tenant's public access points.

The committee suggested options including a quarter-board above the tenant entrance, a flag, or a projecting sign located near the tenant's access, but members cautioned that any flag or projecting sign would need to be part of the master sign plan and reviewed for compliance with HDC guidelines.

Staff and members also discussed a projecting sign location that appears to predate 2016; staff said a file search had not found the application for a Cooper Shepherd sign that appears in photographs, and members asked staff to try to locate prior records.

Outcome: This was a preliminary, nonbinding review. The committee advised the applicant to file a full master sign plan for the building that identifies all existing signs and proposed tenant signs, with photos of every elevation; the committee will review the proposed First Floor sign (Pip Stop) as part of that plan.

What’s next: Applicant and property owner should prepare a master sign plan showing all elevations, existing signs, and proposed locations for each tenant. Staff indicated a flag or corner projecting sign would be approvable only if included in the master plan and found consistent with the guidelines.