| 6/2/2025 | 0 |
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
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Minutes note: Mr. Andrew Stern said that the historic Pabst sign that hangs over Juneau Ave. has hung since at least the 1870s with the current brewer. The neon lighting was probably added in the 1920s or 1930s. Both the sign and bridge are contributing factors for the historic designation. The applicants want to re-paint the letters with the same colors, which staff does not object to, but they are also proposing to replace the neon lighting with a LED rope light. The rope lighting will have a different controller and will be of a slightly different shade of red/orange. This sign is one of the last remaining examples of neon lighting in the city. Staff recommends approval of the painting and denial of the replacement of the neon lighting and to merely update the electrical components.
Michael Kelly - Chairman of the NID board - the NID owns the sign, but not the buildings it is connected to (the NID has easements to maintain the sign). Any rain or snow that gets into the transformers causes a letter to go out. They cannot find any existing transformers and have to find new ones. It's about 80 feet in the air and a crane or lift is needed, so repairs take about a month to restore a letter. Milwaukee Public Market transitioned from a neon sign to an LED sign, as have other signs across the country that were experiencing the same problems.
Don Neumereer - Sign Effectz - the LED lights do have a neon-like effect and he doesn't describe them as "rope-like". They also uses less power than neon. The water is getting in the connections between the glass (which gets cracked by hail) and it doesn't take much to take neon out. The new transformers have been tripping, as they're designed to do. There are very few neon vendors in Milwaukee; he is aware of one who works part-time and neon doesn't ship well.
Mr. Jarosz would like to see how much the light color would differ and a mock-up of what the LED lights would look like at night.
Mr. Jarosz moved, seconded by Ms. Peltz, for approval of the re-painting of the letters and hold the conversion to LED lighting. | | |
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