Historic District approves signage

News-Times
News-Times

By Tia Lyons

Staff Writer

New signs, an awning and a piece from a former public art display will soon be sprouting up in downtown El Dorado, all with approval from the El Dorado Historic District Commission.

Commissioners have signed off on Certificate of Appropriateness requests for new signage in the Murphy Arts District and an art display for the new location of Merle Norman at 108 N. Washington.

The COAs were brought before commissioners during their regular monthly meeting on March 8.

Bob Tarren, chief marketing officer for MAD, presented a COA for new signage that will direct visitors to the MAD box office and historic signage for the east corner of the Griffin Restaurant and Music Hall.

“We’re continuing to hear from people that it’s difficult to find the box office, even though they’re standing right in front of it,” Tarren explained, adding that an existing “TIX” sign for the box office on the west side of the Griffin building “was probably not the best solution.”

Elizabeth Eggleston, executive director of the historic district commission, said the new box office sign would serve as a continuation of existing signage within the arts and entertainment district. Tarren said MAD is considering a linear sign that would receive decal treatment on the windows where the box office is located.

Commission chairman Linda Rathbun asked if the “TIX” sign would be removed.

“We haven’t decided yet. Taking it down would cost money,” Tarren said.

Eggleston said the COA indicated the sign would be short-term, and Doug Stanton, who was appointed to the EHDC during an El Dorado City Council meeting later the same day, asked for clarification on if the new sign would be permanent or temporary.

“If we determine that it solves the issues with the public’s being able to identify the location of the ticket box office, and nothing further is required, then it will be the solution,” Tarren said.

Eggleston said the sign MAD is looking to install on the east side of the Griffin Restaurant will replicate a historic sign that hung on the former Griffin auto company in the 1920s.

Tarren said the new sign will hang above the outdoor dining area near the MAD Amphitheater and will include the mythical griffin, which has the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion

The sign will denote the activities that MAD offers, “music, food and fun,” he said.

Tarren said the box office sign will likely go up faster than the historic sign, and he will provide commissioners with a firm timeline for latter sign.

Commissioners granted a conditional COA for Merle Norman to display an art barrel that is fashioned into a tube of lipstick at its new location.

Store owner Linda Wilson said the piece, which was part of a former downtown public art display that featured oil barrels in a nod to the city’s oil boom past, will be repainted and freshened up.

“It was my mom’s when she had the store,” Wilson said of the lipstick barrel.

Commissioner Teresa Golliher said the lipstick was the last remaining piece of the public art project, and it was removed when the city began installing new sidewalks downtown nearly four years ago.

Commissioners agreed that Wilson would need to speak with the Department of Public Works to see if the barrel could be installed on the sidewalk in front of the business and if an existing planter could be relocated.

Another option, commissioners said, would be the Mahony parking lot that is just north of the business, and Wilson would have to speak with the owner of the lot.

Wilson also pointed to a possible solution for an awning, saying that the owner of the building, the Masonic Temple, is open to removing part of its awning so that another awning could be stitched together and placed underneath the Masonic awning and directly over the Merle Norman storefront.

Commissioners said the matter would be general maintenance and would not require their approval.

Wilson also talked about possible plans for a drop-down, perpendicular sign, with commissioners noting that the sign would require an eight-foot clearance above the sidewalk.

Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or [email protected].

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