Sign of trouble for O'Keefe Center

By Chris Cassidy
Staff writer

February 20, 2008 07:10 am

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SALEM — The new flashing sign in front of the O'Keefe Center was meant to draw attention to upcoming sporting events at Salem State College.

It worked — maybe a little too well. Neighbors noticed it right away.

"I'd describe it as something that should have been in Times Square," said Sandi Power, a member of the South Salem Neighborhood Association, who claims she could see the sign from her kitchen window. "It was in your face. There was so much print, and it was so bright that it was hard to read what it was saying."

The neon screen would blink consistently with a schedule of college events written in multiple colors that were distracting and unlike any other signs in the neighborhood, Power said.

The electronic sign went up about a month ago and is intended to replace an old, deteriorated yellow sign on top of the O'Keefe Center that will soon be taken down, college spokeswoman Karen Cady said. Over time, it had become dangerous to keep replacing the letters on the old sign, she said.

Another sign — an electronic marquee — on Lafayette Street went up about a year ago to replace an older sign with manual lettering, Cady said.

After hearing from neighbors, the college recently scaled back the O'Keefe Center sign. It now operates in black and white and doesn't flash as much.

"We completely understand the concerns of the neighborhood," Cady said. "We want to work with them so it doesn't become a source of contention."

Power believes the situation has improved since the college made the changes.

"It's no longer the offensive sign that it was," Power said.

But the electronic sign debate may not be over yet. Some members of the South Salem Neighborhood Association have asked the city Planning Department to look into whether the sign violates city sign bylaws.

What remains unclear is whether Salem State is exempt from the bylaws because it's a state agency.

"We are in the process of reviewing the matter and consulting with legal counsel for a resolution," Salem City Solicitor Beth Rennard said.