Design For New Downtown Bakery Approved

Report On The Meeting Of The Amherst Design Review Board, February 15, 2022

The meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.

Present
Catherine Porter (Chair),Erica Zekos, Thom Long. Absent: Lindsay Schnarr, Katherine Davis. Staff: Maureen Pollock (Planner)

Plans For The Drake Music Venue Revealed
The board approved moving the main entrance of the town’s new music venue, The Drake, to the east wall facing North Pleasant Street, from the north wall. The door on the new entrance will be replaced with a solid door painted a burgundy red to blend in with the surrounding brick wall. The existing glass door is not handicap accessible, but will continue to be used as access to the backstage area. 

As to the layout of the interior, Gabrielle Gould, executive director of the Business Improvement District, replied that there are three different layouts of chairs and tables depending on the type of performance. The Drake will have a full bar and free snacks, but no food for sale to avoid competing with the downtown restaurants.

Vegan Bakery To Occupy Henion Location
Secondly, the Board approved with a couple of recommendations the signage for The Humble Peach, a plant-based bakery owned by Jeff Craze and Jenna Gigliotti that will occupy the former Henion Bakery space. The existing pink Henion awning will be replaced with a similar one in green. Gold lettering will be used for BREADS, PASTRIES, CAKE on the door and SEASONAL, LOCAL,SUSTAINABLE on the window. Zekos thought that the signage on the awning was “too dense” and suggested a different sans serif font be used. But the owners liked the traditional appearance of their chosen font.

Three tables with chairs will be placed outside during the day and moved inside at night. White or green umbrellas could be used but would make moving each night more difficult. Gould thought that the existing street tree would provide enough shade. The board would like to see a sample of the actual green awning fabric before it is installed.

New Sign Approved For Easthampton Savings Bank
Lastly the board approved a 66- x 34.75-inch sign for the parking lot side of the Easthampton Savings Bank on Triangle Street.The frame allows the signage to be removed and replaced with a different marketing message about six times a year.The frame will be placed high enough on the building to avoid vandalism and, at the suggestion of the board, its height will be aligned with the bottom of the existing ESB entrance sign rather than its top. 

The board recommended that the yellow letters were hard to read against the Kelley green but in fact the green will be the same as in the sign over the door.

Easthampton Savings Bank is asking for blanket approval for all of the sign inserts because the three-week’s notice for change is not enough to ask for board approval each time. The board approved the first sign and asked staff to investigate how to comply with the bank’s request.