TO: ARCHITECTURAL AND PRESERVATION COMMISSION
FROM: BRAD JOHNSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
DATE: APRIL 15, 2026
SUBJECT:
Title
SIGN REVIEW #15-S01AMD, REVIEW OF PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO CMC CAMPUS SIGN PROGRAM. APPLICANT - CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE
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SUMMARY
The applicant, Claremont McKenna College (CMC), has requested approval of revisions to the approved Sign Program to update sign designs and provide adequate signage for the new campus sports complex, which is being constructed on 75 acres of land located to the east of the existing CMC campus. The revised Sign Program is consistent with current sign designs, which consist of concrete monuments, mounted Corten steel panels, and brushed aluminum letters located at major entrances to the campus. The biggest departure from current signage is a proposed 20-foot-tall monument to mark the entrance to the sports complex and associated parking structure, which are located below grade in an adaptive reuse of a discontinued aggregate mining pit. The tall monument sign is essentially one of the existing five-foot-tall monument signs placed on a vertical axis. The taller height is being requested to provide a stronger visual marker, which is needed to direct users to the very large, below-grade site that will have limited visibility from the street. The Sign Program also includes additional standards for entry monuments, building signs, and directional signs that match those currently used by the campus.
The signs have been designed in a collaboration between Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the architectural firm that designed the Robert Day Sciences Center (Sciences Center), and landscape architects from Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners (MRY). MRY authored the CMC Master Plan, the previously-approved Sign Program Amendment, and the larger signs already present on campus. MRY has also designed several large landscape projects on the campus, including the Sixth Street Streetscape design.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the Architectural and Preservation Commission adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE CLAREMONT ARCHITECTURAL AND PRESERVATION COMMISSION APPROVING SIGN REVIEW #15-S01AMD, FOR REVISIONS TO PREVIOUSLY-APPROVED SIGN PROGRAM FOR THE CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE CAMPUS. APPLICANT - CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE.
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In addition to the staff recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
A. Continue the item for additional information or redesign of the proposal.
B. Approve the project with additional or revised conditions of approval.
C. Express the intent to deny the request, specifically identifying the sign design review criteria or sign program criteria that cannot be met, and continue the matter to the April 29, 2026, meeting for adoption of a denial resolution.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Claremont McKenna College is responsible for all costs associated with the City’s review of this project. The costs of City staff, City Attorney, and consultant time spent on this project are charged against a deposit paid by the applicant.
ANALYSIS
Background
Phase 1 of the 75-acre Roberts Campus Sports Bowl (Sports Bowl) is nearing completion and is tentatively set to open for limited use in the Fall 2026 semester. This project, along with the recently-completed Sciences Center represent a major expansion and improvement to the CMC campus and warrants a fresh look at the campus’ sign program to address the larger scale of these projects.
In May 2025, the Architectural and Preservation Commission approved a sign variance for a larger sign for the science center due to its large size and distance from the nearest street. At that same time, the Commission also approved a slightly modified version of the college’s standard concrete and Corten steel signs to be situated at the southwest corner of the intersection of Ninth Street and Claremont Boulevard. The modified sign allowed for the use of brushed aluminum reverse pan channel letters with halo illumination rather than the previously-approved routed out and backlit letters. Both sign designs were intended to improve visibility so that they could be easily seen by passersby on Claremont Boulevard, a wide and fast-moving street. Similar signs had been previously constructed to identify the Roberts Pavilion and the Sixth Street and Mills Avenue entrance to the CMC Campus.
2012 Campus Master Plan
The Master Plan provides for the planned expansion of the college campus for a 30-year period beginning in 2012. The plan and associated Environmental Impact Report (EIR) entitled a net increase in campus development of 722,888 square feet and an increase in the number of students from 1,150 to 1,400. The existence of the CMC Master Plan and EIR streamlines and expedites the review process for projects on the CMC campus by providing a clear vision, environmental clearance through the EIR, a master plan-wide circulation plan, and public realm standards. The Master Plan includes a vision for signage for the expanded campus and includes entry markers along Claremont Boulevard at both the Sixth and Ninth Street intersections.
Claremont McKenna College Master Plan EIR
On July 10, 2012, a Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR), along with a Statement of Overriding Considerations and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, was adopted in conjunction with the approval of the Claremont McKenna College Master Plan. The scope and potential impacts of the proposed signs were identified and analyzed by the Final EIR. The EIR includes 56 formal mitigation measures to ensure potential environmental impacts of the development contained in the Master Plan are mitigated to less than significant levels. These adopted mitigation measures have either been implemented already or will be implemented pursuant to the proposed conditions of approval for this project. Notable mitigation measures relate to ensuring glare and nighttime light pollution are minimized, traffic mitigations, a construction management plan to minimize construction-related impacts, and tree preservation best practices. The mitigation measures are summarized in a 30-page summary table called the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) and full Master Plan EIR, which can be viewed in the City’s document archive accessed via the City Website.
Campus Sign Program History
The CMC Signage Master Plan, referred to as a sign program under the City’s Sign Code (CMC Chapter 18), was updated to address the newly-approved master plan on May 15, 2013 and amended significantly on May 13, 2015 to include revised sign designs that arose with the development of the new gymnasium and to create a consistent visual upgrade to the Sixth Street frontage of the College, between Amherst Avenue and Claremont Boulevard. The proposed amendment includes revisions to the sign program with a mix of annotated markups to the original document to clearly identify additions, deletions, and modifications, and new sheets showing any new signs that were not previously approved.
Project Description
The Amended Sign Program proposes to incorporate the designs recently approved for the Sciences Center and the Ninth Street entry and add similar signs along the east side of Claremont Boulevard. The signs include the same “Mesa Buff” colored concrete bases with heavy Corten steel faces (rusted steel that retains its tensile strength). To a casual observer, the signs do not appear to differ from existing signs but include a slightly larger scale to address the size of Claremont Boulevard and the mass of the new structures, such as the Sciences Center and the 75-acre Sports Bowl and associated Roberts East Campus improvements. The changes also allow aluminum letters with halo-illumination to further improve visibility at larger-scale locations.
The signs utilize a simple modern font (Scala Sans Pro Condensed with 300 Kerning) with all letters capitalized except the “c” in McKenna. The signs feature reverse-can channel letters for halo illumination only. No through-face illumination. All letters have anodized aluminum faces to provide contrast with the large Corten steel panel or concrete monument that they are mounted to. The Corten steel panel of the monument sign is mounted to concrete wall. The concrete wall includes integral color, Mesa Buff 5447 by Davis Colors, to match other monument signs that have recently been installed around the perimeter of the campus.
The Amendment proposes three new entry monument signs and one vertical monument or pillar sign to be located along the east side of Claremont Boulevard. Two monuments and the vertical sign would be located at Ninth Street, and another monument would be located approximately 300 feet north of Sixth Street, where a secondary entrance to the east campus will be located. The sizes, materials, and copy for each sign are included in the proposed Amended Sign Program (Attachment B). The sign mounted to the Sciences Center is oversized because it is approximately 110 feet further from the intersection than the campus entry monument sign. This sign must be reduced in size or granted a sign variance by the Commission. Staff supports the proposed size, given the building’s distance from the street, and has made the necessary findings in the approval resolution for approval of the sign variance.
The entry monument signs generally have measured sign areas that are approximately 20 to 40 square feet, which is well below the 50 square feet allowed by Section 18.030.020.B.1.b.iii of the Claremont Municipal Code for Major Institutional Identification Signs. The monument signs vary in height from four to eight feet and an average height of approximately six feet. Section 18.030.020.B.1.c allows Major Institutional Identification Signs to be a maximum of six feet in height; however, sign programs may be approved by the Architectural and Preservation to allow variation from this code. The proposed 20-foot-tall pillar sign greatly exceeds this height limit; however, staff believes the height is warranted to provide an adequate visual marker for this very large site that sits well below grade and is intended to draw visiting teams and spectators that might otherwise have trouble finding the site. Accordingly, staff supports approval of this type of vertical visual marker for such a unique location.
Renderings of the signs, including an illustrative evening view, show how the signs will appear from street level and how their scale compares to their surroundings. Accordingly, staff has made the necessary findings in the draft approval resolution to approve the sign program that allows the flexibility needed to accommodate the proposed signs.
Staff Evaluation
The signs provided for in the proposed Sign Program Amendment include signs that include a total aggregate sign area that is within “the total aggregate area of all signs otherwise permitted by this title” as required by CMC Section 18.025.120.A. However, some of the proposed signs are taller than permitted by code. These taller heights may still be approved under a sign program, which allows the Architectural and Preservation Commission to permit signs that “although not conforming to all of the requirements of this title for the applicable zoning district in order to achieve aesthetic compatibility of signs within a project, and simple review process for individual signs, and to allow design creativity” (CMC Section 18.025.120.A). Attachment A includes a more detailed rationale for why the proposed signs, including the proposed height variation, are warranted.
Overall, staff is impressed with the work that has gone into the sign program and the desire of the college to integrate these signs with the campus in accordance with the Master Plan and in a manner that improves the look as well as the wayfinding clarity of the growing campus. Finally, staff believes the design of the signs includes high-quality materials that are appropriate for Claremont and a continuation of the college’s efforts to create a first-class built environment for its students, faculty, and staff. Staff therefore recommends that the Architectural and Preservation Commission approve the Sign Program Amendment, subject to the conditions of approval contained in the draft approval resolution (Attachment A).
CEQA REVIEW
On July 10, 2012, a Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR), along with a Statement of Overriding Considerations and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, was adopted by the City Council in conjunction with the approval of the Claremont McKenna College Master Plan. The scope and potential impacts of these minor revisions to the previously-approved Sign Program for the campus were fully identified and analyzed by the Final EIR, and all applicable mitigation measures have either been implemented already or will be implemented pursuant to the proposed conditions of approval for this project. The Community Development Director has determined, based on the application submittals and the whole of the administrative record, that no subsequent EIR is necessary pursuant to Section 15162 (a) of the California Environmental Quality Act, as no substantial changes to the project are proposed, no substantial changes in the circumstances under which the project is undertaken have occurred, and no new information of substantial importance has been provided. Therefore, no additional review is required at this time.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a paper copy, please contact Melissa Sanabria at msanabria@claremontca.gov.
On April 2, 2026, notice was sent to property owners located within 300 feet of the Claremont portion of the Claremont McKenna Campus. The notice radius did not include the Upland portion of the East Campus Sports Bowl.
Submitted by: Reviewed by:
Brad Johnson Christopher Veirs
Community Development Director City Planner
Attachments:
A - Draft Resolution Approving Amended CMC Campus Sign Program
B - Proposed Amended Sign Program