Planners say no to change in "Made in Oregon" sign

[Erik Sine]

Planners say no to change in "Made in Oregon" sign

by James Mayer, The Oregonian

Tuesday March 03, 2009, 5:13 PM

The proposal to put the University of Oregon's name up in lights on the iconic "Made in Oregon/Old Town" sign doesn't fit rules for historic landmarks, city planners say.

Ramsay Signs, which owns and maintains the neon sign at the west end of the Burnside Bridge, has proposed removing the existing letters and installing new letters spelling out the university's name in a similar cursive font.

The sign -- designated as a historic landmark in 1978 when it advertised White Stag Sportswear -- sits on top of a building recently renovated as a satellite campus for the UO.

"The loss of the quirky, historic upper-case 'E' and cut-off 'g' in the text are not in keeping with the landmark character of the sign," according to the city staff recommendation.

"Similarly, the significant increase in the number of letters, their reduced size, the proportional crowding of the new text in the sign frame, and the incremental increase in lighting are inconsistent with the sign's historic character, and would have a detrimental impact on the skyline."

On the other hand, the staff suggests that it's reasonable for the university to seek changes to a sign that has been changed in the past: "There may be other options that both respect the historic character of the sign, and promote positive conditions for institutional identification."

The Portland Landmarks Commission will hold a hearing on the change at 1:30 p.m. Monday in Room 2500A, 1900 S.W. Fourth Ave . The commission last approved a wording change to "Made in Oregon/Old Town" in 1997.