The Sign Advisory Committee held for revision a proposal from the Boys and Girls Club to place freestanding letters and a logo on the gym gable facing Pleasant Street, saying the building is already identifiable from the street and the proposed placement resembled advertising more than signage identifying a public entrance.

Steve Hollister, a Boys and Girls Club trustee, described the club’s long history on the island and explained that fundraising drives most of the non-grant operating budget. "The boys and girls club serves a critical mission on island… we do so much fundraising and the fundraising is so necessary for us. It's about, 92% of our operational budget," Hollister said in an earlier comment introducing the application. The club proposed wood letters 17.5 inches high, totaling roughly 17.1 square feet, with the national Boys & Girls Club logo (4.5 square feet, 49"x30") above.

Committee members questioned the need for signage on the Pleasant Street elevation because there is no public entrance on that side and a smaller quarter-board sign exists at the main entry. "I question the need for its presence overall and whether that's really, an appropriate location for additional signage to the building," said Mark Catone. Ben Norman and other members agreed that the building is already identifiable from Pleasant Street.

Motion and vote: A motion to hold the Boys and Girls Club applications for revisions passed unanimously. Recorded votes: Kevin Koester — yes; Ben Norman — yes; Paul Wolf — yes; Mark Catone — yes; Chris Young — yes. Outcome: held for revisions; staff encouraged the applicant to consider alternative locations or to return with a revised design focused on entrance identification.

Why this matters: The club sought visibility to support fundraising, but the committee applied its guidelines about signage identifying building entrances and avoiding billboard-like placements on façades that do not provide public access. The club was advised to consult staff and reapply with designs or placements aligned with those guidelines.

Speakers on this item included Steve Hollister (trustee), Fernando Jones (director of operations), Chris Young and committee members.