By Sadie Hunter
The Noblesville Plan Commission has voted against allowing additional signage to the future Holiday Inn Express & Suites that will be built in the Saxony Corporate Campus at 13625 Tegler Dr.
Owner J Enterprises Inc., out of Columbus, Ind., and developer American Structurepoint, Indianapolis, requested waivers to the current ordinance that regulates the Saxony Corporate Campus for two additional wall signs at the commission’s Aug. 17 meeting.
The ordinance currently lets developers and owners display two wall signs on a building and one monument-style sign on the ground, typically near the main entrance of hotels.
While the request did not fit within the city’s or corporate campus’ development standards, the total mass of the four signs would still meet size requirements for total mass of allowed signage.
The ordinance also does not allow high-rise pole signage, similar to common signage found next to highways to attract drivers looking for a place to stop.
“[Signage] is vital in improving our guest satisfaction scores,” said Nick Sprague, co-owner of J Enterprises Inc. “If (customers) can’t find our hotel easily, they’re going to come in with a bad first impression of our property, and that’s not what we want.”
Sprague said they see three practical difficulties in the rules set forth by the ordinance. First, he said he worries the hotel will not be readily identifiable as a Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel.
Second, Sprague and his company are working with the Holiday Inn Express parent corporation, InterContinental Hotels Group, to meet the requirements of the franchise.
“It’s a modern design. (The corporation) is really trying to change what Holiday Inn Express & Suites looks like. One of the key parts in this design is actually the signage,” Sprague said. “It’s their brand. It’s their hallmark. They aren’t really flexible, and they’re strongly encouraging us to do everything we can with the signage.”
Lastly, Sprague said he worries the hotel will be overall less successful.
“The 96th Street hotels…what makes those stand out is that they all have high rise signs, but that’s not something we’re asking for,” he said. “Ultimately it comes down to a financial issue. We need signs that draw people in off the interstate, and we need signs that direct people to our hotel. We want to drive people into Noblesville rather than them going to 96th Street and spending money in Fishers.”
With a $14 million dollar investment into the city and county, the five-story, 123-room, 16,000 square-foot hotel will be the sixth hotel in Noblesville and the first of the Holiday Inn franchise. The nearest Holiday Inn Express & Suites is in Fishers, off of 96th Street and I-69.
According to a staff report prepared by the planning department for the Aug. 17 meeting, the only other sign in the Saxony Corporate Campus that has been granted a waiver was in 2009 to the Helmer Scientific headquarters. At the time, the ordinance only allowed one wall sign for businesses.
Councilor Jeff Zeckel contended Sprague’s points about the hotel losing business because of signage, citing trends in online booking of rooms, the hotel’s proximity to Klipsch Music Center, less than one mile away, and creating a level playing field for businesses and hotels in the area.
“I feel signs are less important than ever because of the online component these days,” Zeckel said. “I know on concert weekend, you can’t get a room there. So, I don’t really feel it’s necessary to add these two signs.
The plan commission unanimously voted, 8-0, to deny a favorable recommendation for the waiver. The request will now move onto the city council, which will make the ultimate decision, at their meeting on Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 16 S. 10th St., Noblesville.
