Debate Over Sign May Prevent Walgreens From Opening In Nyack

The possibility of a major franchise pharmacy opening up in Nyack hinges on just a few signs.

Walgreens pharmacy—which hopes to construct a location where the vacant Hilltop Restaurant now stands on Rt. 59—carried out a heated discussion with Nyack's Architectural Review Board last night about the proposed signs that would come with the store.

The cardinal unresolved issue is the possible installation of an electronic Walgreens sign on Rt. 59 that would display sales and products offered at the store. It is a sign the board has been opposed to from the start.

"It's obnoxious, offensive and out of context," said board chairwoman Eileen Kuster-Collins. "It's visual clutter."

"There are lots of other ways to market yourself," she added.

But David MacCartney, an attorney an attorney working alongside Walgreens' developers, noted the LED sign is imperative to Walgreens' success—and, ultimately, the business' decision to open a Nyack location.

"We will lose the deal without the sign," MacCartney said.

Walgreens and the village have agreed to compromise on other aspects of the project, however. Last night, Walgreen's representatives explained the steps they have taken since the July meeting when board members demanded fewer—and smaller—signs.

"We did a number of things to address your concern," MacCartney said.

Walgreens has agreed to reduce the size of the "Walgreens" lettering that appears in red cursive on each of its stores. They also moved the "pharmacy" lettering under the main script to consolidate signage, MacCartney said.

"It reduces clutter," MacCartney added. "You end up with a much more palatable sign package on the store itself."

Still, several of the signs that will be posted on and around the store do not conform to village code, according Nyack's building inspector Donald Yacopino. The village code dictates no sign can be larger than two square feet, Yacopino explained.

"A few [signs], from a safety standpoint, weren't resized, like stop signs, 'One Way,' 'Do Not Enter,'" MacCartney said. "Making them smaller would pose a danger for pedestrian and vehicular traffic."

The project will be discussed further at upcoming Architectural Board Meetings.

Some Nyack residents present at the meeting noted Walgreens would be a good addition to the village, but stressed the importance of abiding by Nyack's rules and regulations.

"I commend board for making Walgreens stick to village code," said Mary Ashley, who lives at 175 N. Franklin. "[Walgreens] will find a way to make their money—they don't need those signs."

"I drive through that intersection multiple times everyday," she added.

Kathleen Christopherson, who lives at 4 Rt. 59, is opposed to several aspects of the project. She worries the Walgreens will encroach on her property, create excessive traffic and disrupt her quality of life.

"I don't want that Walgreens sign shining through my bedroom window," she said.