The new Holiday Inn Express and Suites on South Street was approved for signage.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — With approved signage, the Holiday Inn Express on South Street is one step closer to opening.

On Wednesday, the Zoning Board of Appeals granted the exemptions that adjust area calculation methods and increase the overall signage. Owned by the Desai family, the $13 million facility will have a 20-foot tall sign by the road and a graphic on the building.

The nearly 2-acre property is set back about 250 feet from South Street and elevated about 30 feet. A newly constructed 77-room hotel was built in a similar location to its predecessor, which was demolished.

"I can see the need for a bigger sign, given how far setback the building is and that people are generally driving relatively fast going by," board member Allyson Holmes said.

The pylon sign at the roadway reading "Holiday Inn Express & Suites" is 50 square feet and the board granted an exemption from the 25 percent usually added for the second side. The graphic on the building follows suit and because the board allowed the negative space to be omitted from measurements, it is under 100 square feet.

"The corporate branding for that size hotel is what we're asking for, which, if you box all the components together, it's 93 square feet, as opposed to the rectangle around the whole sign, which would be 161 square feet," explained James Callahan of Saxton Sign Co.

Board member John Fitzgerald wondered if considering the two signs as one would cause problems later on.

"I have no problem with the sign on the road. I think that's necessary," he said. "I'm just concerned about what can of worms we're opening up with the one on the building."

Callahan said the hotel wants to brand the building because it is a Holiday Inn Express & Suites.

"To just put the logo up there is not effective, and to put the logo and Holiday Inn, it's a different brand so they have to have the name and  '& Suites' with it," he said.

Board member Esther Anderson said they need a two-sided sign on the main street and at least one sign on the hotel so that people aren't confused and go to another Holiday Inn.

Last year, the City Council approved a second two-year extension of a tax increment financing agreement with the owners, Somnath LLC. It was initially approved in 2021.

In 2022, the city approved a two-year extension for a 10-year TIF that forgives about $755,000 in real estate taxes while generating more than $1.27 million in tax revenue.  Higher construction costs and supply chain disruptions reportedly inflated the build from $10 million to $13 million.

The contract begins with 100 percent of the increments forgiven in the first four years, 80 percent in the fifth year, 60 percent in the sixth year, 40 percent in the seventh year, 20 percent in the eighth year, and 10 percent in the ninth and 10th years.

The new hotel is expected to create between 25-30 jobs, 15 of them full-time positions.

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