What: a Certificate of Appropriateness for a new mural on the alley-facing secondary facade of the Babbitt Building on East Aspen Avenue, covering a faded mattress advertisement (a "ghost sign").
Where it stands: Approved on October 21 (five aye votes heard, none opposed) with a condition that a photographic representation of the original sign be shown and interpreted inside the building, and a request that the artist consider an homage to it.
Next: The final mural design and content go to the Beautification Action Grants review at the Beautification and Public Art Commission; the Commission asked to hear back on progress.
Details
Built from the auto-generated captions of the October 21 meeting; names and numbers may be misheard. No minutes are posted.
The building was built about 1907 to 1911, sits in the downtown historic overlay and is a contributing property to the railroad addition historic district. The Design Handbook does not cover murals, so review turned on the general criteria for a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Public hearing. Staff recommended approval: the work is on a secondary facade, no character-defining features are altered, the brick is already painted, and the advertisement is over 50 years old but faded and not called out in the National Register nomination. Several commissioners wanted more information on the sign's date and significance and worried about losing ghost signs; others thought a new, clearly non-historic mural was appropriate. Ideas raised: a photo plaque or framed image inside the building, projecting the old sign, or an homage inside the new mural. No public comment. Motion approved with the condition above, to be handled administratively by staff.