Apparently, size doesnt matter for some building signs Engineering firm gets sign approval, 300 percent over regulation size By Roger Showley6 A.M.JUNE 26, 2014 The Kleinfelder sign will be located at the top of the 550 Corporate Center at India and C streets. — SignTech The Bank of America got one. Sempra Energy got two. And Kleinfelder, a worldwide engineering firm based in San Diego, has joined the exclusive club as well. These companies werent asking for tax breaks but for corporate billboards in the form of giant signs atop their downtown office towers. The issue came to a head at a Civic San Diego board meeting Wednesday, where the staff argued for enforcing a 100-square-foot maximum. Kleinfelder asked for a waiver to allow a 343-square-foot sign at the top of the 550 Corporate Center at India and C streets. Company officials said the extra space was needed because the 11-letter name couldnt fit into 100 square feet and still remain legible without binoculars. Sempra Energys two 892-square-foot signs, approved in 1999, are the largest downtown. Its new corporate headquarters going up at 424 Eighth Ave. will have two 172-square-foot signs. — CoStar Group Sign envy is breaking all over San Diego as companies slap their names and logos on buildings that can be seen from a freeway, an airplane flying into town or a cruise ship sailing into port. Tenants negotiate sign rights and owners entice companies with come-ons that read Your Name Here. Kleinfelders previous location in Governor Park off Interstate 805 had a low-profile sign at street level.— CoStar Group Kleinfelder, founded in Stockton in 1961 and locally based since 1999, moved from a low-profile corporate headquarters in Governor Park off Interstate 805 (where its monument sign was at street level) to downtown earlier this month and wanted to trumpet its arrival in the big city. We felt downtown San Diego was an attractive place to basically recruit people from an employee perspective, said CEO Bill Siegel, echoing observations from urban planners that 20-something tech workers prefer urban centers for living and working. But Siegel said Kleinfelder, with 1,800 employees worldwide and about 200 in San Diego, also wants to raise its profile as a corporate leader. Thats why we were pushing so hard on the signage issue, he said. Its part of our statement and identity that we want to be part of the community and hang our flag in San Diego. CivicSDs vice president for planning, Brad Richter, gamely tried to remind directors that 1992 sign regulations were meant to downplay corporate logos and play up downtown architecture. The goals of the (community) plan were to ensure regulations provided for the identity of businesses without dominating the downtown appearance, Richter said. But to the casual observer, the downtown skyline does seem to contain a sea of giant illuminated calling cards by banks, hotels and assorted companies. Richter said 15 buildings exceed the limit because their signs predate the regulations and as their names and logos change, CivicSD has successfully negotiated some reductions. Bank of America recently won approval for a revised 445-square-foot sign that still exceeds the limit, since it retains pre-regulation rights. Sempra won approval in 1999 for downtowns two biggest corporate sign, 892 square feet, in recognition of its status as downtowns only Fortune 500 company. Last year it received the go-ahead for two 172-square-foot signs at its new headquarters going up next to Petco Park, where larger signs are allowed in the ballpark district. Directors, who acknowledged meeting with Kleinfelder representatives privately before the meeting, said they did not mind the sign, as long as its light is dimmed after 10 p.m. Its a nice sign -- its clean -- its not like so many others weve seen, said director Theodore Shaw. Director Richard Geisler commended Richter for manning the front lines against an invasion of unwanted signs, but said he had to vote for Kleinfelder: Its branding for San Diego, too. We want to be known as a corporate hub. Officials said the new sign should be in place in about six weeks.
Posted on: Sun, 29 Jun 2014 18:29:37 +0000
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