Capital One seeks another sign on Main Road property
The newly located Capital One Bank on Main Road in Mattituck requested a variance from the Southold Zoning Board of Appeals Thursday to place a freestanding sign on the property.
Arlene Meli, account manager of Ultimate Signs & Designs Corp based in Hempstead, said that the building is not noticeable enough for passersby.
There is already a directory sign with an eight-inch Capital One sign on top, including the other businesses on the parcel. There are two wall signs up on the physical building; the larger sign on the front needed a permit while the side-wall sign was allowed by code.
“I almost passed the spot where the bank was located,” Ms. Meli said. “The directory sign is pretty negligible. The wall sign blends in with the background of the building and it doesn’t give it a lot of visibility.”
The ZBA was hesitant to grant permission for an extra ground sign because the members said the Capital One has done a sufficient job of notifying customers of the location change and because locals know that the bank is there.
“The old bank on Love Lane really had not much signage,” ZBA member Patricia Acampora said. “Locally, most people do know that the bank has relocated and you do have a very large sign on the building. You can’t miss that.”
Ms. Meli argued that there are not only locals who may wish to use the bank and the bank had switched locations feeling that this was a better visibility location, so the extra sign would ensure that people could see clearly where to turn in.
ZBA member Nicholas Planamento said that it may not be necessary since most people use a GPS system.
“There is a directory sign there and I think most people will understand that this is a bank building,” Mr. Planamento said.
Paul Pawlowski bought the property in 2015, which included a 9,500-square-foot two-story building west of the bank.
Chairperson Leslie Kanes Weisman asked if the bank would be willing to remove the sign from the front of the building, because she said three signs on the property plus a directory sign wasn’t necessary, and Ms. Meli said she would ask.
The hearing was adjourned and a decision will be made at a later date.
Photo: Capital One Bank is requesting a variance from the ZBA because it does not feel this sign is visible enough for drivers. (Credit: Rachel Siford)
