Crazy Lenny's Beltline Sign Strategy

Overview

Crazy Lenny's Electric Bikes has an existing backlit cabinet sign facing the beltline that needs a branding refresh to match their updated logo. The project is complicated by a city sign ordinance that limits new signs to 80 sq ft — but the existing sign is 145 sq ft and qualifies as legal non-conforming, which opens up a cost-effective path alongside a premium redesign option.

This article captures the sign ordinance analysis, the two proposed design options, and the permitting strategy developed in coordination with ^[1].

Sign Ordinance & Legal Non-Conforming Status

Key rule: Because the existing sign predates the current ordinance, it holds legal non-conforming status. This means:

• Face replacement is permitted — the cabinet and electrical infrastructure can be retained, and only the plastic face needs to be swapped. The sign keeps its 145 sq ft footprint.
• Full sign removal triggers compliance — if the cabinet is removed entirely, any replacement must conform to the 80 sq ft limit.

This distinction is the central decision point for the client. Choosing Option 1 preserves the size advantage; choosing Option 2 sacrifices square footage for a premium aesthetic.

"The sign he currently has is legal non-conforming, so we can change the face and still keep that size sign. If we remove that sign, then we have to comply with the 80 square feet."
— Trevor Voice, Ryan Signs

Design Options

Option 1: Face Replacement (Cost-Effective)

• What it is: Remove the existing plastic face and install a new one with updated Crazy Lenny's branding. The cabinet, structure, and electrical all remain in place.
• Size: Retains the full 145 sq ft legal non-conforming footprint.
• Cost profile: Lowest-cost option. Likely the client's default choice if presented with pricing alone.
• Visual impact: Meaningful refresh — new branding will be noticeable — but the sign format stays the same (flat backlit cabinet).
• Permitting: Face replacement on a legal non-conforming sign does not require a new permit for size compliance.

Option 2: Channel Letter Sign (Premium)

• What it is: A fully new sign installation using individual channel letters for "Crazy Lenny's" and the bicyclist logo, plus a channel module (similar to the Bricks and Minifigs example) for the "Electric Bikes" secondary text.
• Size: Must comply with the 80 sq ft city limit.
• Cost profile: Significantly more expensive than Option 1 — each letter is fabricated individually.
• Visual impact: Modern, dimensional, premium storefront presence. Consistent with the updated brand identity.
• Permitting strategy: See section below.

Permitting Strategy for Option 2 (Maximizing 80 Sq Ft)

When calculating square footage for channel letter signs, the city measures the area of rectangles drawn around each sign element — not the total bounding box of the entire sign. Ryan Signs' designer uses a tight multi-rectangle method to maximize usable sign area within the limit:

1. Draw a rectangle tightly around the bicyclist logo element.
2. Draw a rectangle tightly around "Crazy Lenny's" text, connected to the bicyclist rectangle at its narrowest point.
3. Draw a rectangle tightly around "Electric Bikes," connected to the other two.

This approach avoids counting blank or negative space (e.g., the open area above the bicyclist's head, or padding around letterforms). The result is a larger effective sign presence within the 80 sq ft cap.

"We're not going to be paying for all of that blank space... we try and be as creative and tight as we possibly can when we figure those square footages out, to get to the maximum that we can get to."
— Trevor Voice, Ryan Signs

Branding Considerations

• The existing beltline sign uses an "Electric Bikes" text treatment that is inconsistent with the front-of-store signage and the updated Crazy Lenny's logo.
• The goal is to align the beltline sign with the front signage style — including a possible lightning bolt element within the word "Electric."
• Melissa (Asymmetric) needs to obtain the correct vector artwork for the "Electric Bikes" text from the client before mock-ups are finalized.
• The new logo PDF should be vector-based and usable directly by Ryan Signs' designer.

Decision Strategy

The client (Steve Lindau) is cost-sensitive and has not provided a specific budget. Trevor and Melissa aligned on the view that presenting visuals alongside pricing is essential — if the client sees only numbers, he will default to the cheapest option. Mock-ups showing both options in context (full wall elevation) are intended to make the premium channel letter option a genuine contender.

"I think the cost alone, Dave's going to make the decision, we're going to go with the lowest price... If he's looking at cost and designs, he might feel differently."
— Trevor Voice, Ryan Signs

Action Items & Timeline

Related

• ^[2]
• ^[3]