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Cafe Hollander's rooftop sign raises eyebrows in Mequon
By Jeff Rumage
Mequon - The rooftop sign on Cafe Hollander's new Mequon Town Center location is designed to catch attention — and it certainly caught the attention of the Mequon Plan Commission on Monday, Jan. 12.
 Cafe Hollander, which has locations in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa, has requested that its first free-standing new construction building at the northwest corner of Cedarburg and Mequon roads feature a glowing red roof sign with the word "Hollander" and the restaurant's lion logo. The sign is similar to the rooftop sign at Trocadero — another restaurant owned by the Lowlands Group.
The architectural renderings do not include any measurement specifications.
Roof signs are not allowed in Mequon's sign code, although Cafe Hollander could receive a waiver from the plan commission. The only other roof sign in Mequon is at Outpost Foods, where the sign is backed by a screen wall. Mequon's planning staff does not object to Cafe Hollander's roof sign, but feels a similar screening wall would help hide the view of the structural supports.
Plan Commissioner David Fuchs, who also opposed the contemporary architectural style of the Cafe Hollander building, said the sign did not match the character of the Mequon community.
"My feeling on the Town Center is that we want to keep a residential feel — even in this area," Fuchs said. "This is Mequon, not Brookfield."
Commissioner Pat Marchese also said he thought the roof sign was overbearing.
"I get the feeling that the sign is screaming at the corner," Marchese said. " It just seems to be physically and visually screaming, which I think is just inappropriate."
Blair Williams, whose company WIRED Properties is developing the Mequon Town Center with Shaffer Development, said he is comfortable working with Mequon's city staff to adjust the scale of the sign, but feels strongly that the rooftop sign should stay on the building.
"We think this signs adds dynamic identity to (Cafe Hollander)," Williams told commissioners. "I do understand and appreciate that it is a little bit of a departure from how many signs in Mequon have worked in the past, however the Mequon Town Center is a new iconic community in Mequon."
Not all commissioners opposed the roof signage. Alderman Robert Strzelczyk said he thought the sign gave the building a unique retro aesthetic.
The plan commission approved the Mequon Town Center signage plan, but removed Cafe Hollander's roof sign for future consideration. The developer is expected to approach the commission at a future meeting.
Cafe Hollander will be the anchor tenant of the upcoming Mequon Town Center development, which will also include a two-story commercial building and two four-story buildings with ground-level retail space and 28 high-end apartments. Other Town Center tenants include Colectivo Coffee, Ruby Tap, Sola Salon, Elements Therapeutic Massage, Fisher Family Chiropractic and Supercuts.
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Bilal Al Ayoubi knows the power of a Rotary connection. At the 2012 Rotary convention in Bangkok, Thailand, he met Greg Garofolo, now president of the Rotary E-Club of New England.
