The future home of First National Bank Coastal Community (FNBCC) received approval for exterior elevations and signage with technical deviations at a meeting of Wellington’s Architectural Review Board on Wednesday, April 21.
The bank is currently under construction at 12140 South Shore Blvd. in the Village Place shopping plaza, also known as Mayfair Wellington Commercial.
Plans for a bank on the outparcel were originally approved in 2008. The plans were resubmitted to allow for a different architectural style for the outside of the bank and the roof. These changes are to make the new building uniform with the surrounding structures.
The primary and secondary signs, as well as the incidental wall signs, meet the code requirements. The proposed materials and colors of white and beige for the building are already on the village’s approved color palette.
The single matter on the agenda elicited a brief discussion about the monument sign that will be near the sidewalk and the street. There are already two that are permitted by the code, each more than 200 feet apart. A third monument sign was previously approved. This would be the fourth such sign.
Staff recommended approval of the measures.
Board Member Dayna Bertola took issue with another monument sign in the area. Her point was that drivers don’t look for a sign for a bank in the way they might search out a place to eat or a type of store.
Jon Schmidt, agent for the applicant, gave a brief presentation that reiterated how the bank could have built from the original plans as approved in 2008 but wanted to change the architecture to better match the surrounding buildings. He said that the bank is new in the area.
“The monument sign is critical for their exposure,” he said. “We wanted it taller and wider but modified it to meet staff’s recommendations.”
Bertola stuck to her opinion that the sign would further clutter the area and made a motion not to approve the monument sign portion of the application. It died for lack of a second.
Board Chair Roger Grave de Peralta asked for another motion, but there was a long delay.
“Do I need to pass the gavel so I can make a motion?” he asked.
A presiding board member is not permitted to introduce motions while holding the gavel.
“I actually agree that the monument sign should be approved,” Grave de Peralta said. “I like the way it is at a slight angle with the sidewalk.”
The measure passed 4-1, with Bertola dissenting.
