VILLAGE OF COLONIE SIGN VILLAGE HALL 2 THUNDER ROAD REVIEW COLONIE, NY 12205 BOARD (518) 869-7562 FAX (518) 464-0389 FRANK A. LEAK, MAYOR Jim Rubino Chairman villagehall@colonievillage.org Alexandra Hart www.villageofcolonie.org Coordinator There was a meeting held by the Village of Colonie Sign Review Board on January 24, 2019 at Village Hall, 2 Thunder Road, Albany, NY 12205. The meeting started at 6:30 p.m. The meeting was called to order with a salute to the flag. Roll Call: Chairman Rubino Present Mr. Levy Present Mr. Michalski Present Ms. Trifiletti Absent Ms. Pochily Present Ms. Dickinson Present Attorney Caponera Present Code Officer Cerone Present Coordinator Hart Present Trustee Murphy Absent Minutes from the December 20, 2018 meeting were reviewed by the present members of the board. Mr. Levy made a motion to approve the minutes. Mr. Michalski seconded the motion. Unanimous vote in favor to approve the minutes from the December 20, 2018 meeting. Chairman Rubino stated that representatives from Glenn Peter Jewelers at 1544 Central Ave and 518Realty at 1571 Central Ave received letters from Code Enforcement Officer Mike Cerone requesting their attendance at tonight’s meeting. Chairman Rubino stated that the letter notified the representatives that their Electronic Message Center (EMC) signs were too bright and in violation of their approval. Chairman Rubino asked both applicants to come forward in front of the Board. Mr. Scott Grasso and Ms. Tracey Lewis were present from Glenn Peter and Mr. Steve Sbardella was present from 518Realty. Attorney Caponera stated that the conditions of approval are all uniform amongst applicants seeking EMC signs. Attorney Caponera read aloud the conditions of approval set forth for Glenn Peter Jewelers. Attorney Caponera stated that the Board and Code Enforcement have received complaints about both signs regarding glaring and brightness, particularly at night. Ms. Lewis stated that she is the one who puts up the graphics and controls the sign. She stated that every time new graphic are added, the sign automatically gets put back into factory settings, which is 1 Sign Review Board January 24, 2019 something they recently discovered and since addressed. Ms. Lewis stated that the sign has since been turned down. Ms. Lewis stated that in regards to the video graphics described in the conditions of approval; she stated that Glenn Peter does a lot of campaign fundraising and she puts video and commercials on the sign. Ms. Lewis stated that she was unware that was not allowed. Attorney Caponera stated that any flashing and moving parts are distracting to drivers and violated the conditions of the Sign Review Board’s Decision. Mr. Grasso stated that they will work quickly to fix the issue and they have since made monitoring the sign a routine when they lock up at night. Chairman Rubino asked if the brightness can be turned down at night. Ms. Lewis stated that the sign can be turned down and goes reduce to about 50% at dusk. Mr. Sbardella stated that his sign was installed back in 2014 and he must call the company directly to get anything changed on the sign. Mr. Sbardella stated that the technology keeps rapidly changing on these signs making it difficult to keep up. Mr. Sbardella stated that he likes to keep his sign simple. Mr. Sbardella stated that with the Village Code only allowing up to 6 foot signs, it creates electric issues with the diodes and glaring. Mr. Sbardella stated that he was told by the sign company that the EMC signs should sit higher than 6 feet and angle down to reduce the glaring and makes the sign less distracting. Attorney Caponera stated that Glenn Peter Jewelers have appeared before the Board before for the same issue and now the sign is as bright as it’s ever been. Attorney Caponera stated that Code Enforcement now has a light meter and all EMC signs will be monitored. The Village is looking into updating its sign code to address allowable brightness for signs. Mr. Grasso stated that he is very willing to work with Code Enforcement regarding this issue. Mr. Grasso added that different colors on the sign sometimes make the sign appear extremely bright. Ms. Lewis stated that the white background tends to be the brightest, however with some of the graphic she uses it is necessary. Chairman Rubino stated that if the Board received any more complaints on the brightness of the EMC signs at Glenn Peter or Sbardella then Code Enforcement will be in touch and Glenn Peter Jewelers and Mr. Sbardella would be required to return to the Sign Review Board. Mr. Grasso, Ms. Lewis and Mr. Sbardella all agreed. Mr. Grasso stated that the EMC signs in the Town of Colonie tend to be much larger and allows the graphic to be stretched and appear less distracting. Attorney Caponera stated that the Town of Colonie is a separate jurisdiction and has a separate Sign Law. Mr. Grasso and Mr. Sbardella thanked the Board for their time. DISCUSSION: Mike Cerone and the Board discussed the new light meter and all the components. Mr. Cerone stated that there are several different ways to read the lights and it all depends on the angle, weather and distance. Attorney Caponera stated that sign technology is moving faster than 2 Sign Review Board January 24, 2019 existing Sign laws. Attorney Caponera stated that the Village needs to address the new sign technology. Mr. Levy made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Mr. Michalski seconded the motion. VOTE: Unanimous to adjourn the meeting at 7:15 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Alexandra M. Hart Sign Review Coordinator Village of Colonie 3