The lights will be bright, at Randhurst Village

Mount Prospect village board members proved they aren’t too nit-picky when it comes to a new lighted sign for Randhurst Village.

At this week’s meeting, they approved two monument signs, which will be placed by the water tower near the three-way intersection of Rand, Kensington and Elmhurst roads. One is an electronic message center sign that will highlight special events and identify Randhurst Village’s tenants. Another is a sign identifying the AMC Theatres and replacing the existing changeable copy sign.

Both signs were recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

However, board members went against the recommendation of the commission by permitting the illumination of the electronic message center sign to exceed the maximum standard of 5,000 nit units of illumination during daylight hours. During those hours, the sign would provide an illumination of between 7,500 to 10,000 nits.

What changed the minds of board members was a demonstration by the petitioner at the recent coffee with the village board. Trustees were taken outside to show what little impact the sign would have at that level of illumination during the daytime.

“The display was very useful,” said Trustee Steven Polit, who noted that in the bright sunlight the sign is only using about two-fifths to a half of the 10,000 nits and added that the village should probably revisit its standards.

Trustee Arlene Juracek said there was a large sign mounted on a truck parked by Founders Row, across the street from Village Hall. She said she was told that the only time the sign would reach 10,000 nits is when every single bright light is illuminated, “which is never.”

She added, “I’m sensitive, ever since I had Lasik surgery, to halos and bright lights. This was very readable. I felt comfortable.”