By Jason Emerson

Editor

The Cazenovia Village Board is considering a law change that would allow some businesses in the village to have two exterior business identification signs, rather than the one currently allowed.

The board held a public hearing on the proposal during its Feb. 5 regular monthly meeting. The proposed change would amend section 180.117, subsection F, of the village code to allow businesses with two entrances — which must be on opposite sides of the building — to have a building-mounted exterior identification sign above each active entrance.

The change, which pertains to signs permitted in the B-2, VES-MU and VEN districts, was introduced in response to a newly proposed multi-use building in the Village Edge South district that will have one entrance in the front and one in the back. The building’s two entrances will enter into two different areas, and the developer is concerned that patrons will not be aware which door to use without better signage. One building entrance is off the parking lot and one is off a sidewalk.

Mayor Kurt Wheeler said an example of how this law would work can be seen at Caz Pizza, which has one sign above its front door off Albany Street and another sign above the back door that leads to the parking area — these are two different entrances on opposite sides of the building.

Wheeler said this proposed law change would not affect Aldi and its recently denied application for a second entrance sign at the front of its store. “This would not apply to Aldi because the geometry does not match,” he said. “the signs are not on opposite sides of the building.”

The village planning board recommended the code change to the village board, Wheeler said.

The village board referred the proposed change to the Madison County Planning Board for review but, as of Feb. 5, had received no response, he said.

During the public hearing, local resident Anne Ferguson asked if the proposed law would be grandfathered in to allow currently existing businesses, such as the Hampton Inn, to add a second sign. She felt the proposed legal language should be “tightened up” to avoid leading down a “slippery slope” of creating excessive signage in the village.

Tim McCay, president of the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation, said the CPF was also concerned about the potential law change, believing it is “not warranted” and could lead to “unintended consequences.”

“We continue to be very concerned about signage in the Village Edge South district,” he said.

The board took no action on the proposal and will likely discuss it again during its March meeting.

Also at the meeting:

• The board scheduled a 2018-19 budget work session for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20 in the village office. The meeting is open to the public.
• Village Tree Commissioner Amy Mann announced that the commission’s annual seminar is scheduled for Saturday, March 24, and will feature Roger Swayne, host of the PBS show “The Victory Garden,” who will present a talk on “How to plant a village.” Mann also said the tree commission’s annual Arbor Day celebration will occur on April 21 in Lakeland Park.
• The board voted unanimously to name the newest village street Dougherty Drive, in honor of former Mayor Tom Dougherty, and his entire family, to recognize them all for the vast public service they have given to the community, Wheeler said. The street will be in the Village Edge South district.
• Wheeler announced that a bill has been introduced in the state legislature to designate Cazenovia Lake and Chittenango Creek as inland waterways “for purposes of waterfront revitalization.” The bill, introduced in the Assembly by Bill Magee and in the Senate by David Valesky, has been referred to the assembly’s environmental conservation committee and the senate’s finance committee for review. Wheeler said the legislation, if enacted, would make Cazenovia eligible for more grants to protect and improve the waterways and their surrounding areas.