Good evening everyone and welcome to the July 2026 meeting of the Municipal Arts Commission.

My name is Marissa Bowen.

Other board members here with us tonight.

To my left is Fred Spinowitz and Michael Murrero from the Building Department.

We have Jelka Diana and from the Department of Development, we have Kevin Jimenez, who will be welcome to our agenda.

Yes.

Thank you, Rosa.

So for tonight's agenda, we have several applications here on behalf of the City of New Rochelle.

But we will walk through each one as we look at each application.

In terms of just the time, we want to make sure that we go through some applications that aren't connected to the City of Neurochell's applications.

So we're going to first go to the adjourn case and then we'll go down further down into the agenda for three new applications that we have.

And then we'll head right back up to the City of Neurochell's applications.

So the first Azure case for tonight is 13-2026.

Application by Louis Nava to install one front lit channel letter sign at 642 North Avenue.

Applicant is not present.

Application by Science Inc.

to replace two internally illuminated LED channel letter wall signs and reface the existing pylon sign with updated Duncan Donuts and Baskin Robbins graphics at 96 East Main Street.

Applicant is not present.

Application by Ruben Levano to restore three existing awnings with lettering and logo at 391 Main Street.

Applicant is not present.

And finally 34-2026 application by Joseph Lanza to reface existing light box with Pitl Rage logo at 51 LeCount Place.

And applicant is also not present.

So we're just going to head back up onto the agenda with the first case by the City of New Rochelle, which is first case 14-2026.

Application by City of New Rochelle to install awning slash attached signings and blade and projecting signs at one 111 Union Avenue.

I just want to provide a little content before the argument goes through each one of the applications and then to an engagement.

So this project has been in the making for uh almost two years, I want to say, trying to figure out a way to invest in this community and commercial corridor to really create an impact in the experience and the economic growth and the economic vitality of the neighborhood and how it looks.

But we engage with more than 30 businesses in this area.

And we will continue to work with the ones that have not made it through this first wave because they're dealing with with different things.

They might not be ready themselves, you know.

They they might be there might not be somebody you know there anymore that we started engaging with.

They they might be there might not be somebody you know there anymore that we started engaging with, so these conversations go on and on, but uh everybody we engage with is super happy with what has been proposed, and it's in front of you already, uh something that they have seen and something that they're okay with and they understand the importance of it.

So we're super happy to be in front of you, hear your feedback or thoughts, and uh, and hopefully your support, you know, to proceed with the project that this is and before I just want to thank you know the department of buildings to support for supporting the department of development, you know, through this process, which is never easy, you know, to uh you know, to for something like this of this magnitude.

Um he has to go through the regular process as everybody else, and we we try to coordinate as much as possible, even if it's a city project, uh, and that's why we're here here in front of you.

Let's begin.

Madam Chair, good evening, members of the board.

Uh for the record, Robert Sandy L architect who's working on this project as already mentioned.

Um we wanted to uh sort of uh as already mentioned, also maybe a consistent uh message here with these awnings on Union Avenue, and we have a couple of them or one at least on uh 4th Street in West Niver Shell.

Um want to make a sort of a clean design.

Um we want you to incorporate a blade sign, which we think is a very popular graphic on the building itself, not to be overbearing, but you can see uh it again being consistent.

Um the blade sign itself would be a 16-inch diameter, non-illuminated uh blade sign.

Uh the color would be just black and white.

Um there's so many colors on these buildings that are involved and painted over the years, and even some of the backdrops for some of the canopies uh themselves that'll be mounted over that we wanted to keep these just uh some basic colors.

We thought black and white would be the most primary of colors that would stand out here in this particular case.

That also goes for the uh for the awning itself.

Is the awning black or is it still?

It's a dark gray, dark gray, yes, yeah.

Um the awnings themselves consistently are two foot six high by two things wide, they don't they they're just project out square and you do not have ends.

Um the lettering is is only is an eight-inch uh apron on all of the awnings, and the only graphics are on on the apron itself, uh just with the identified with the um business name and the street address.

Uh let me know phone numbers, email addresses or anything else on the apron itself.

I know that gets confusing, and a lot of uh is coming for the board, and I also know from experience being here.

Uh that everybody wants a phone number or something else, uh three phone numbers and a fax number or something on their uh on their apron, but uh we presented it this way, and uh Jorge is uh presented to the uh to the tenants and building owners as maybe this wanting it to be very clean, just with the name and the street number, and that's what uh these all of these awnings that we'll be presenting to you tonight uh will consistently have.

So there's 18 total.

Yes, yes, um there's not much of a description of each one of the same.

I can go through them if you like.

Uh this is uh 11 uh Union Avenue uh Antoitos Mexicanos on this one.

Oh, you want to zoom in?

Oh, yeah, okay.

No, you just want to go through the next one.

Yes, uh oh, they're open differently.

There's no other paid.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, I see.

Okay, okay.

Okay, this goes all the way.

This is the one uh really the only one I think off of uh Union Avenue that uh decided to participate, and that's Joe's Delhi, which is all the way on uh the other end of uh 4th Street by St.

John's Place.

So Joe who happened to see the other day, um, is very excited about participating and likes his very simple awning that he's gonna be getting there.

Um streets.

Uh some of the I should mention some of the uh blade signs we felt were better.

If we had a corner store, we decided to mount the blade side on the corner itself at a 45.

Okay.

So it'd have a better better attraction uh or even better site, better visibility for the for the store itself in business.

Uh when we have a longer facade, uh as we have in the grocery store here, we um did make the center business in three pieces and made the center running a little bit higher just to give it a little better accent to break it up over the entry.

Similarly, in this situation, uh you have the long longer facade.

Obviously, those are the existing pictures on top of the existing awnings and facades.

These are the ones together that are paired side by side.

It'll also have blade sign and a new awning.

This is also a double double facade.

Every awning has the same extension?

Yes.

Okay, it does, yes.

The same projection, same projection.

Same projection, same height, but the ones accent at the entrance, but the length changes depending on the facade.

Okay.

I think there was one, I'm gonna get to it.

One um one owning we had to shorten, I think it was only two feet high because we had a uh cornice above that we didn't want to um it was a very short distance made the bottom of the corners to the top of the storefront, and we didn't want to come lower over the over the um door, the door itself, so to keep that at seven feet, we um I think we had to make it two feet.

Again, this is a uh this is a corner where we have actually three sections of awning.

Uh guess that will lose on the Charles Street of the corner.

You didn't have any.

That's kind of wasn't yeah.

And another triple awning where we put the center section up a little bit higher in the two side sections to not have uh graphics in this particular case.

Is the variation on the blade sign height store to store, or do you like I noticed they're in different positions in many of them?

Yeah, they do vary.

We did it just for visibility where we thought it might be you know best seen.

Uh in this case, unfortunately, we have uh we had a limited space space to put it because it's a short building, so um it may be blocked by the awning in this particular case from the others from the opposite side, but we had no choice here.

And is there writing on both sides of the blade side?

Yes, yes, double sided sign, yeah.

So taxi stand.

Why is there no name on the awning on this one?

Uh there should be.

Oh, yeah, that maybe didn't get it.

Yeah, that was yeah, that was uh amended.

That one the amended one for the lettering there.

I mean, there were the updated phones.

Yeah, but this one has the same.

The same results.

It does have the name, the lights can now put the handset and the number printing error.

This too is a uh corner business.

I think that's it.

There's another one in here that I didn't see up here.

Um 238 Union Avenue.

238 or it's here.

There's a picture.

But it wasn't in the computer.

What's the name of the business?

It just says deli, that's why I'm bringing it up.

It just says deli.

Not looting.

238 unit.

Oh, this one's not, yeah, this is this one, yes.

I don't think this is the one that was included.

It's just that came to the case.

Oh, it's 237.

Yeah, taxi.

They're just all in one.

The drawings were all together.

Can you know this is one that didn't make it?

So it's just gonna be deliberately.

No, this one is this one is not part of the agenda, I think.

No.

No, this one got, I'm guessing, in the package.

This was one of the business that I think didn't couldn't do it at the end.

Yeah.

When we were trying to um to do the final myth.

Yeah.

Okay.

Otherwise, we wouldn't have like this one.

It would have been named all three.

Oh, see the deadly one.

But that was just in the keys.

These were the two that maybe.

Yeah, I think it wasn't extracted from the PDF.

I don't show you some.

I see the screen.

See everything except the May's gifts and parties.

217 Union Avenue.

Yeah.

That's not on this agenda either, correct?

217.

May's gifts and parts.

That's the package.

Here it is.

There it is.

But yeah, it's now two, you know, two seven, but it's not up here.

I don't think it's here.

Two sixteen.

It is certainly behind the picture because they're double size.

No, it's just in the agenda.

Is it part of the same um parcel?

So it's part of 26.

Is that what part of which one?

This is part of 218.

28.

218 has two store groups.

Yes.

There's no two eights.

There's no two eighteen on the agenda.

Yeah, that's we're just missing that.

Which is 216.

Could be 216.

That's the bakery.

Bakery and store next to it.

Oh.

Oh, the parcels 220 with the business.

Oh, it changes to 220.

No, that's kind of basic.

So they're store next to it.

And we're making some pair on it, we're going by this, right?

Maybe to add it.

So what we're trying to figure out is that because the way they were filed is by parcel.

Some parcels have three businesses.

So the name that you might see there might contain more than one storefront, but it's the same DOV application for permit that would be cool.

Um if it's packaged within those addresses, then it will be seen as one address for the parcel with different stores.

With multiple, yeah, the app the applications were not storefront specific.

They were parcel specific.

Yeah, that's what happened weeks ago.

Right.

Okay.

Legally blocking lot and address-wise, are different from what the owners list is addressed.

So a lot of these things get confused that way.

So does anyone have any questions or comments?

Is there a standard height between the sidewalk and the bottom of a blade sign?

It cannot be less than 7.5 feet.

So seven and a half feet.

Yeah, it cleared most people.

Yeah, most of them are higher than that because we can be blade size at least eight or nine feet off the sidewalk.

Right.

Yes.

Oh, this is a beautiful project.

Thank you.

I hope that it you go back to those other businesses.

It is the plan.

The plan is to once they see this all these all of the signs.

Oh yeah.

Well, not because they did it, but will be more motivated to resolve things that they need to resolve prior to getting something, uh something like this with the funds that are funding this project, which are it's federal funding, has some limitations and some things that we need to abide by, so we're working with them to get them to a place where they can, and the ones that kind of might not have been interested, there's a few see this and will get motivated to do it.

So you know, it's just part of such a big corridor.

This is a this is gonna really beautify this entire section of Canada.

There's at least 10 restaurants here.

It's gonna make a beautiful restaurant row and um thank you.

How many of the business have non-participating businesses?

Like, will this look get like will there be gaps?

I know that's in the first wave, there will be in the first look.

Yeah, just because of what I mentioned that there's some businesses that are not ready, ready to receive something like this.

Either because they are not don't feel ready, are a little hesitant, just a few of those, others that need to resolve a few things, you know, with other things within the building.

Got it.

Um and those are you work working with them to get them to a place where these anything are.

This is there's very low vacancy on this trip.

These stores are all occupied.

Um it's it's yeah, it's uh think we did 32.

Right.

So that the all 32 that we engage with were designed at this level.

You're just seeing the 18 that are in front of you, but that's why you you know that's what we were saying.

Oh, we couldn't extract that one.

You know, the Delhi one, I think wasn't one, right?

It was one of the ones that include it.

So that's one of those that at the end, but all of them were designed, shown to them, but some of them couldn't move forward and so on and so forth.

It's already once ready to go.

What is the obligation in each business?

Businesses because of this funding, uh actually the they have to maintain them, but the property owners are the ones that are signing up on this, so they're the building owners.

And there's an obligation to keep these awnings and signs for five years.

Okay.

For at least five years.

And they can be longer, but they cannot take them down if not their repercussions on the funding.

They have to return, let's say, the benefit of if they leave.

But I think in the case of uh storm damage over the winter, is it their obligation to put it back the way it is?

That's a good question.

I need to get back to you now.

Yeah, I mean, obviously.

It could be if some of them are hesitant.

When they think of five years and what might happen in five years, that may be putting them off a little bit.

I mean, yeah, I mean, the owner of the building is the owner of the building, you know, they whatever business they're engaged with, let's say if one business goes away, another one comes in, you know, and this is the awning that's there, the name will have to change, and all of this will have to change, and then that's the owner, yeah.

The owner will have to take take off of that refacing blade sandwich is something that's done.

You don't have to rebuild the whole thing to reface that and uh also the apron, right?

Yes, it can be modified, you know, um or or if the fabric is not in great condition, let's say instead of like hardwashing or something, or it really broke, you can replace it with the same color now with a new name of the business, or it depends on when I'm guessing this is happening on the state of the awning, but yeah, it's the responsibility of the owner getting this benefit to keep it.

Um do you have plans to do this in any other neighborhoods in your show?

We we do pending funding availability.

So the way that CDBG uh community block brand, you know, money works uh from the HUD from the uh from the from the federal government, is that the areas where we can apply this money to and do programs such as this or individual businesses like we've done in other places of the city, they have to be part of or in close proximity to what they call highly distressed areas or areas of you know qualified census track.

There's many names for uh categorization depending on like you know, the population that lives there, their income and their poverty level, all these things, we're trying to revitalize you know, communities that might not uh you know might need investment.

So we are trying to just for the record here to do this in another corridor in the north end, or I can go North Avenue strip before Breaking Ridge Road, that strip needs a lot of attention, the facades, you know.

I think it's it's doing pretty good retail-wise lately.

It was before it was like almost 80% vacant at a point, and then all of a sudden in the time frame of a year, it's basically 10% vacant, maybe at one or two stores.

It's come along like uh a long way in terms of occupancy and new tenants and violet, and really good tenants, really good businesses, but the this money cannot be applied straightforward there because of the population that lives in that area, does not have anything near the qualities that this money, so this program is specifically with this funding cannot be applied that straightforward to that.

There might be ways to do that uh that we haven't actually come up with or uh resolved, but we're trying to find local money and grants for neighborhoods and workers as this to apply the same treatment, maybe not the same look, but similar treatment of harmony and and and regularized, you know, an enhancement of the looks of it, not just here, also in even in the downtown.

We pay a lot of attention to the downtown, and we we're not starting in the downtown, you know.

We we're moving forward with Union Avenue as invest doing this investments of more than 100,000, you know, to do this with that money that we get every year, uh, even though the downtown is a focus.

So yeah, potentially the downtown, that North Avenue White Given Corridor, maybe in the future, depending on the street, you know, Pelham Road has a few buckets that we have eyed uh that have come to the Mac, you know, for new audience and signs, you know, that but we want to see which ones will make the biggest impact to users and samples as well and how other businesses see it.

It would be great if you added planters and outdoor seating along this trap that would be your report.

It's interesting that we mentioned that because that is true.

That might be a next step of engagement with the business because we need some stewardship as well, right?

Like we have partnership with the businesses and corridors to keep these things, you know, well maintained and looked at because we're not there every day or you know, we we so what we're doing in the Wikipedia strip now that you mentioned is we're starting in the opposite.

So because we we can engage, we were there's already planters there, so we engage with the businesses and they adopted.

We have an informal program called a double planter with the businesses up there so they can take care of those planters to unify that because somewhere kind of abandoned, nobody knew they were cities or somebody else's, but we're also offering um additional planters against the facade for the businesses somehow already bought in to it, and they they committed to plant them and maintain them if you place them so they you can see that ribbon with a facade of planters that adds a little vibrancy to and the experience, you know, but the awning and sign situation and facade is something we're still trying to wrestle with uh is there a motion to approve for each one, yeah.

Each one, thank you.

Okay, let's go.

Who's gonna do it?

Who's who's gonna first and second?

Ready?

Uh yeah, I'll second first and second.

I I reviewed all this and I and I went to visit uh juicy, which is a similar application.

Okay, should be two six.

So I'm gonna go down the line Ms.

Joe's ready.

You want to do the first one?

Okay, case 14.

Yes, case 14-2026.

Is there a motion to approve?

Is there a second?

Is there a second?

All in favor?

Aye.

Motion passes on 14-2026.

Case number 15-2026.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Motion passes on 15-2026.

Uh case number 16-2026.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

Okay, all in favor.

Aye.

Aye.

Motion passes on 16-2026.

Application number one seven-2026.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

All in favor.

Aye.

Motion passes on seventeen-2026.

Case number 18-2026.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

Second.

All in favor.

Aye.

Motion passes.

Case number one nine two zero two six.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Second.

A second.

All in favor.

Aye.

Motion passes on 19-2026.

Application 20-2026.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

A second.

Second, all in favor.

And motion passes on 20-2026.

Application number two one-2026.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

I second.

Okay, all in favor.

Motion passes on 21-2026.

Application uh 2 2-2026.

Is there motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Second.

A second.

Second, all in favor.

I will motion pass it on 22-2026.

Application number two three-2026.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Okay, is there a second?

I second.

Okay, all in favor.

Motion passes on two three-2026.

Application number two four-2026.

Yeah, motion to approve.

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

Second, all in favor.

I motion passes on two four-2026.

Application uh two five-2026.

Motion to approve.

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

All in favor.

Aye.

Motion passes on two five dash two zero two six.

Application uh two six-2026.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

And second.

All in favor.

Aye.

Motion passes on 26-2026.

Application 27-2026.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

There are a second.

Second.

All in favor.

Aye.

Motion passes on 27-2026.

Application.

Number 28-2026.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

Second.

All in favor.

Aye.

All opposed.

Application 28-2026 passes.

Application 29-2026.

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

A second.

Second.

All in favor.

Aye.

Motion passes on 29-2026.

Application 30-2026.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Is there a second?

I second.

All in favor.

My motion passes on 302026.

Application 31-2026.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion to approve.

Second.

A second.

All in favor.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

You got practice.

So I'm just going to do a second call on all of the remaining applications and then we'll proceed to administrative items.

Thank you, guys.

Great project.

That's really exciting.

Thank you.

Is this going to be completed in time for the Taste of Union Festival?

Yeah, that's all.

That's in August.

Okay, so it's a fast project.

Okay.

There's some project.

Super.

Okay.

We'll see you there.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

So doing a second call.

Um adjourn case 13-2026.

Application by Lewis Nava to install one front lid channel letter signed at 642 North Avenue.

Applicator present.

Next application 32-2026.

Application by Science Inc.

to replace two internally illuminated LED channel letter wall signs and reface existing pylon sign with updated Duncan and Baskin Robins Graphics at 96 East Main Street.

Applicants now present with 33-2026.

Application by Ruben Lovano to restore three existing awnings with lettering and logo at 391 Main Street.

Applicant is not present.

Application by Joseph Lanza to reface existing light box with pickle rates logo at 51 LeCout place.

Applicant not present.

If it's too hot to come off, probably so that concludes our agenda for um adjourned and new cases, and we'll be proceeding to administrative items.

We have one artist certification tonight.

So Sherry, I'll give you um two minutes to kind of briefly go over.

Um you know introduce yourself why you're applying to the municipal arts commission as an artist for an artist certification and um also presenting some of your work so just give us some time to hi my name is um shere corso I am a new member to uh living in uh newer shell and I love it I love all the arts here I'm an artist and I am doing a project with the five boroughs and it's called the Pulse of New York and you might think I'm a little bit crazy but what I do is I have uh one canvas for each borough they're all five feet and then I bring it out to the people I paint it in my studio then I bring it out uh to the subways you see Wall Street Grand Central I almost got arrested there but I have to do it um and the purpose of it is I truly believe everybody has a voice and everybody makes up this city everybody makes up New Rochelle and this is the way I incorporate public art with the people and the stories that I've heard have been really transforming you know right down um to Wall Street um and my purpose oh thank you and then this is just one project I'm doing the post of New York and you see Staten Island Brooklyn I've had Queen Latif on it I've had Jerry Seinville Manhattan I've had a lot of uh famous uh people on it and um can how do I get into the speech oh press there we go and um you know what one person can make a difference and I was in uh uh Forbes uh Bronx Times talking about it the uh Pellum with this project MSN you know some law news twelve I swear I'm not drunk on there it's just a really long day the CM Club um I do a lot with the Pellham Art Center but this is read

And um, you know what one person can make a difference.

And I was in uh uh Forbes, uh Bronx Times talking about it, the uh Pelham with this project MSN, you know, some blog News 12.

I swear I'm not drunk on there.

It's just a really long day.

I do a lot with the Pellham Art Center, but this is reached all over the country.

Um, and I'm really very proud of it.

That's just one project I'm doing, and I'm an artist.

I've participated in our fashion.

Um to show you some of my art.

So sorry.

I can't see the letters.

Yeah, uh, this is just um some of the art um that I've done.

This one.

The one in the middle was uh they're building a Cold War museum in Arkansas, and you see with the the flowers and the American flag, and as we know the Cold War really isn't over yet, is it?

And this museum is unbelievable.

To the right are um uh how the representation with the flowers is how people are talking to each other.

And one's a little Italian flower that's using the hands, my husband's and um and of course uh this one is this was one that's old.

Uh this is a girl and she comes to New York City and she has stars in her eyes, and she has hopes and dreams and a lot of bumblebees around her because she's very beautiful, and what happens to her?

They want her to sign a contract.

See at the X.

Does she sign the contract?

I don't know.

And then don't be coy.

My fish were a big seller, don't be coy.

And I don't know if everybody remembers the show, uh, Mayberry Art Day and some nightclub and just uh various arts and for you with all of those.

And the um uh objective is I'm looking for a place to paint so I can finish my projects, and if I can get a nice place to paint, I will make it pretty with flowers, I'll put a sign, I will have it open.

I can invite people from the city down from different galleries, I can invite press, I can really add a lot to the community.

I follow through, I'm very efficient.

I have a um marketing degree, so I incorporate that.

Um and I love New Rochelle, and I was just at a meeting um with the mayor, and I love all the growth that's going on in the community, and I want to be a part of it because I'm living here right now.

Great.

Thank you.

Oh, thank you so much.

Thank you.

It makes you smile.

I'm also a Reiki master, so it's all infused with the comments?

Anybody have this slide?

So what we usually do is we'll observe, you know, see the application, and then within a week you'll get uh a notification of the study art.

Um I have been studying art my entire life.

Uh I've been taking art classes at um various um schools, but it's just a talent that I've always had.

And your degree in marketing is uh Suffolk University in Boston with a minor in um art studies and I also have been um media on TV, uh parenting things on uh CNN, the Today Show, NBC recommending just common sense parenting.

I don't have a um Ivory Tower degree in parenting, but you would be amazed how many people appreciate just good old-fashioned common sense.

Which yeah.

So I've done that.

I've done a lot at this point in my life, I've done a lot of different things, but my passion is art, and my passion is unity and diversity and having people's voice heard, and this is my expression of it.

It's great.

And thank you for listening.

And determination by the termination.

Oh determination.

Thank you very much.

And any of the new buildings going up too I'd love to um you know uh paint and contribute artwork or thank you.

Thank you thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

Are there any other items Kevin?

Um that concludes our agenda for tonight.

Okay.

Nothing else?

anybody have anything to add or to say or no is there a motion to adjourn?

Motion to adjourn.

Is there a second?

All in favor?

Five.

Meetings adjourned.

Thank you everyone's a little bit of a