Developer's Unpermitted Sign Ordered to Come Down

The developer of Penguin Hall has been ordered by the Wenham Planning Board to take down a sign publicizing the hiring of a construction company for the project.

The developer, Chris Wise of Wise Living, admitted that the sign was put up without a needed town permit.

The sign exceeds the allowable sign size and required a special permit from the Planning Board.

The sign was up before Wise went before the Planning Board last Thursday for a public hearing where the board would decide whether to grant the permit.

“You did it in the wrong order,” Planning Board chairman David Geikie told Wise. “I am offended by the order you did this.”

Geikie said the move "showed a cetain lack of respect for the procedure" and said it was "out of character" for Wise.

Penguin Hall is senior living complex that is planned to be built in the mansion on Essex Street that was mostly recently home to Mullen Advertising. Wenham Town Meeting voters last year overwhelmingly approved a zoning change to allow the project. A complete application for the entire project is expected to be submitted to Wenham town officials later this year.

The sign was put up to coincide to show progress on the project – which has not broken ground – to coincide with the launch of a television advertising campaign that has resulted in “tremendous traffic,” Wise said.

The sign was designed to stimulate purchases for a project that is moving slower than originally planned, Wise said.

Wise said he "used bad judgement" putting up the sign before getting a permit and that it was "out of character."

"Yes, there should be a slap on the wrist," he said.

The board did not oppose the sign but rather took umbrage with the fact it was put up without a permit.

Geikie said it made sense why Wise put up a sign publicizing the selection of Windover Construction to build the project.

"The Windover name is seen a reputable and a good company to deal with," Geikie said.

Minot Frye, a member of the Planning Board who was participating via telephone, said the sign would be "classier" and not look like a typical project if it was shorter. He also said the new sign, along with another sign put up with a permit last year showing an image of the completed project, are at "funny angles" and could look better next to each other.

Frye did say he did not feel like what happened with the sign is the way Wise has typically acted.

"I know Chris well enough to know this is not his standard operating procedure," Frye said.

Wise later offered to rebuild the sign if the board was not OK with the one that was put up, but that was not required.

In the end, the board granted the permit, but said it must come down until April 30 when the board has a site visit planned to approve the exact location for the sign.

Once the sign goes back up, Wise said he plans to have it up for several years.