A new sign for a Palm Desert dentist office needs more work, a city committee said Tuesday.
Building in Palm Desert shows no signs of slowing down, but the flow of new development applications has begun to thin, the city's Architectural Review Commission (ARC) heard Wednesday.
During a regular meeting at City Hall, planning staff reported that most projects currently in the pipeline are in the construction phase rather than in the early stages of approval. Staff said entitlements — the initial approvals required for new projects — have been moving more slowly, though construction of projects already approved continues at a regular pace.
The commission’s primary business item was a continued review of a proposed monument sign for a dental office at 73151 Fred Waring Drive. The applicant, Signarama, is seeking approval for a new double-sided LED monument sign to replace an existing sign at the site near San and Salmo Avenue.
The proposed sign would measure 5 feet 6 inches tall and 5 feet 6 inches wide, with a depth of 18 inches. The design includes the business name, the names of the two dentists and product information. Planning staff determined the proposal meets all applicable city standards, including height limits and landscaping requirements.
Despite that finding, commissioners raised concerns about the overall design. Commissioner Geoff Gregory said the sign appeared to represent three separate businesses rather than a single dental practice, citing inconsistent typefaces and design elements that lacked a unified visual identity.
Other commissioners said the sign should better reflect the architectural character of the building. McIntosh said the commission typically expects monument signs to reference elements of the building on the property rather than appearing as generic standalone structures.
Others agreed, adding that while a miniature replica of the building would not be appropriate, the design should draw inspiration from the building’s architectural features, even in a contemporary style.
The commission moved to continue the item to allow the applicant to revise the design based on the commission’s feedback.