Design Commission Approves Sprouts Signage

Originally wanting a 6-foot tall building sign, the soon-to-be completed Sprouts Farmers Market and the City of La Cañada Flintridge compromised with slightly smaller letters this week, ending months-long discussions over how large the main sign should be.

The city's Design Commission on Thursday unanimously approved the main wall signs on the north and east elevations, limited to 4-foot and 5-foot letter heights, with the capital "S" in the word "Sprouts" being the largest of the letters, said city planner Chris Gjolme.

"The project is finally a done deal,'' Gjolme wrote in an email to Patch.

Debra Leong--president of Noble Signs, who represented the grocery store--told City Council during the Dec. 5 meeting that 4-foot tall signs on the building's east elevation looked like a postage stamp. She pointed out that 6-foot tall letters were a standard signage size throughout the country.

"Going to 5 feet is compromising,'' she said, adding the company was willing to work with the city.

Leong's original point months back was that nationwide Sprouts is the kind of store that people generally drive by, and the sign should be large enough for people to see from their cars on the street.

But because the grocery store is located on Foothill Boulevard in a reconstructed version of the old Sport Chalet Sportland building--across from the Towne Center, which city officials hoped would encourage pedestrian traffic--there was no need for such an imposing sign, council members said.

At the Dec. 5 meeting, councilwoman Laura Olhasso pointed out that the larger size corporate sign package is designed for a building set way back from the street, with a sea of parking in front of it--and that is not La Cañada's situation.

Council also balked at Sprouts' "Meat'' and "Deli'' signs that are fairly standard on their store exteriors throughout the country. Instead, the Design Commission approved two secondary wood signs, which will hang from the north elevation, given the building's considerable length along Foothill Boulevard, Gjolme said.

The market is slated to open in the spring.