Design Review Board Votes to Support Updated Coldwell Banker Signage

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

For the first time in almost 25 years, Coldwell Banker’s Sunset Boulevard office will have updated signage.

The Pacific Palisades Design Review Board voted unanimously during its June 8 meeting to support the replacement of two wall signs, one facing Sunset Boulevard and the other facing Carey Street.

The two wall signs are slated to be replaced with like-size signs in the same locations, according to Mitch Chemers, who attended the meeting to represent the applicant. They are being updated to reflect Coldwell Banker’s current branding.

Chemers described the updated illuminated text as more modest, as the branded text is wider, so it has to be shorter to fit into the same space, resulting in smaller visual signage.

Additional changes to the building will be the removal of an awning, as well as placement of vinyls on the window, which currently do not include store hours but have a placeholder space for the future if that changes.

“Because the signs are very simple and they’re consistent with what was previously approved,” Chemers said, “we’re hoping that there isn’t anything that conflicts with the building or the architecture, and we hope that it continues to be a modest, appropriate, well-designed, simple sign for this building.”

Chemers shared details about the signs, which he described as standard sign-making materials—designed for long-term durability with high-performance paint. The letters will stand off 1.5 inches. The white lettering will be opaque against a blue background, Coldwell Banker’s corporate color.

Design Review Board Chair Donna Vaccarino raised the question of when the original signs were approved and permitted, which Chemers explained date back to 1998.

“I’m wondering if Coldwell Banker … have they considered doing an upgrade to this building?” Vaccarino asked. “The shingles are falling off, and they’re discolored. I thought maybe with the signage, there would be an upgrade to the building itself.”

Chemers explained that Coldwell Banker doesn’t own the building, but leases the space, so upgrades would be through the building owner.

Vaccarino then suggested Coldwell Banker consider placing the sign that faces Carey Street in a more “pedestrian friendly” space instead of where it currently is, which she said—though it is technically permissible because it is attached to a second story, not a roof—resembles “billboard advertising.”

“When it was time to update the signage, [Coldwell Banker] took a very careful look at this building, and of course, they did take the nature of the specific plan into consideration and they did decide that this is the most appropriate,” Chemers explained later in the meeting. “One test of that is, while it is important for signs to serve the goals of the area and be pedestrian oriented, from their point of view, you don’t want to be solely pedestrian oriented at the complete loss of adequate visibility to driving traffic, so there’s got to be some kind of balance.”

Additional members of the board also expressed interest in using this time to update the space in general, with Vaccarino referring to it as a “lost opportunity to not be able to upgrade the building,” but finding no issue with the proposed sign—either in design or location—the board voted unanimously to approve the updated signage and window vinyl.

“If the signage fits within the parameters of signage based on that surface,” DRB Vice Chair Paul Darrall said, “I have no problem. I think Coldwell Banker, that’s their standard sign.”