Agreement to alter signs

Three signs are enough, the planning director said.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Downtown design review board members and a representative for Erie Sign Co. agreed Thursday to make changes to four signs installed on the former Bank One building downtown.
Tony Iannucci, director of Warren Redevelopment and Planning Corp., said the committee voted to send a letter to Chase, Erie Sign Co., Boyer Signs and another company involved, asking that the illuminated vertical corner sign be removed. The Erie Sign representative agreed to make the change, Iannucci said.
The letter will also ask that three block signs near street level that read "Chase Tower" be changed to identify the company, Chase, with a Chase logo, like what Bank One had at those locations, Iannucci said.
Iannucci said the review board had rejected the vertical sign, and it had approved the box signs but not for them to say "Chase Tower."
Iannucci said the vertical sign is not visually compatible with the edifice. "We're trying to maintain the historic character of the building, particularly since it's on the square," Iannucci said.
He said he felt the three signs near the entrance reading "Chase" would adequately identify the bank without the need for the vertical sign.
The review board was also told at the time of application that the surface of the building behind the block signs would be repaired so that former signage would no longer be visible, and that apparently was not done, Iannucci said.
What caused problem
Iannucci said the representative agreed to all of the changes, saying he was already aware that some of them were needed. Iannucci said he believes misunderstandings occurred on the signs because several companies were involved in the project.
Boyer Signs applied for the signs originally, Erie Sign Co. installed them, and a third sign company was also involved, Iannucci said. He said he believes the reason for the multiple companies is that Chase wanted the signage replaced on all three of its Warren locations at the same time, and one company couldn't handle it all.
New York-based Chase Bank acquired the Chicago-based Bank One two years ago and has gradually been changing signs throughout the country.
runyan@vindy.com