Uptown Review Board Approves New Library Sign, Clears Northstar Café Signage Update
Library Approved For Smaller Sign Than Planned
The Uptown Review Board approved a new ground sign for the Westerville Public Library during its last meeting as part of a larger renovation of the building’s front lawn. However, it required the sign to be smaller than initially proposed, citing concerns about zoning limits and setting a precedent in Uptown.
The board unanimously approved the library’s sign at 126 S. State St., with the condition that it be limited to 20 square feet instead of the larger version requested by the applicant.
The sign is part of a previously approved package of site improvements designed to enhance wayfinding, accessibility, and safety, while also expanding outdoor programming space at the library. This project includes new landscaping, seating, lighting, and circulation modifications along the front lawn facing State Street.
The proposed sign will be mounted on a seat-retaining wall near the public sidewalk and will feature individual aluminum letters with white faces and layered green backing to add depth. A narrow strip of warm lighting along part of the letter edges will provide subtle illumination, according to plans presented to the board. Electrical components and anchoring will be hidden.
City planning staff noted that the sign’s design has several strengths, including its transparency, sculptural quality, and restrained lighting. They described it as more art-like than a traditional cabinet sign. Staff also mentioned that the design would complement the library complex and the civic space envisioned in the Uptown Plan.
However, the sign’s size emerged as the board’s primary focus.
Measured as a rectangular sign, the proposal exceeded 29 square feet. Even when measured by the contoured perimeter of the letters alone, staff said it would be about 26 square feet. Uptown zoning limits ground signs to 15 square feet, based on frontage.
Staff acknowledged that a sign limited to 15 square feet might seem too small given the size of the library campus and its large front lawn. However, they warned that approving a bigger sign could set a precedent for other properties both inside and outside Uptown. The staff also noted that the library already has a large wall sign facing State Street.
Designers for the project asked the board to consider a slightly larger sign, arguing that reducing the size too much would affect proportions and visibility once the renovation is complete. Library officials said the existing wall sign is difficult for drivers to read and that clearer identification along State Street is needed.
Board members also raised questions about safety, including whether the sign could be climbed by children, the durability of materials, and how electrical components would be protected. The applicants said the sign was being designed to meet safety standards and withstand interaction, though it is not intended to function as a play structure.
After discussion, the board approved staff’s recommendation to permit the sign at 20 square feet, a compromise that exceeds the code limit but is smaller than the original request.
The decision may be appealed to the Westerville City Council.
Previous article about the library renovation in The Westerville News.
Northstar Changing Its Branding
In other business, the board approved updated wall signage for Northstar Café across the street from the library.
The Northstar proposal involved replacing three existing wall signs with new versions in the same locations, two facing State Street and one facing West Plum Street, without adding any extra signage. The new signs will be smaller than the current ones and will feature a light bronze finish with warmer, more subdued illumination.
Planning staff said the changes decrease overall sign area and better align with the building’s natural materials and earth-tone colors. Board members expressed support during a brief discussion, and the proposal was unanimously approved as submitted.
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