Restaurant owners William and Marylou Seixas were granted a certificate of appropriateness from the Bethlehem Historic Conservation Commission for signage, awnings and exterior light fixtures for Couchpota.doh! Kitchen at 306 Brodhead Ave. at the Nov. 28 meeting held in the Rotunda.

The Ecuadorian restaurant’s logo, “Couchpota.doh!,” is composed of individual, serif, back-lit aluminum channel letters with the second letter “O” in the shape of a potato. The word “kitchen” in the same font, is positioned below the logo and justified right on the 32-inch high by 168-inch wide black aluminum backing plate. The sign is to be centered horizontally over the storefront.

Two black fire-retardant canvas awnings with open end gables were approved for within two existing storefront openings. The couple was OK’d for three black gooseneck light fixtures, pending approval on a resubmitted design by the historic officer and HCC chair.

The circa 1890s Italianate building is owned by Angelina M, LLC. and was the former home of Shabby Chimelle’s.

Norman and Jill Matthews scored a COA for their proposed signage for Dinky’s Ice Cream Parlor & Grill at 312 E. Third St. The new sign featuring the eatery’s logo measures 51 inches high by 94 inches wide and is to be installed on an existing sign band above the entrance. The distinctive stylized cursive and serif words are centered over each other in a design that incorporates four dark red horizontal stripes with black outlines leading out from a central black oval toward the edges of the sign.

Approved window cling signage similar to the new wall sign is to be installed in one of the storefront windows at the right of the entrance.

Two gooseneck lighting fixtures to illuminate the wall sign, similar in style to existing fixtures at nearby Molinari’s restaurant, were approved.

Permission was given pending final review of scale drawings depicting the locations of the new wall sign, lighting fixtures and window cling signage by the historic officer and HCC chair.

Polk Street Development owns the contemporary structure built in 2005.

Yadira Colon-Lopez from the Community Action Development Corp. of Bethlehem received approval for a freestanding sign in the Lopes International Park at 843 E. Fourth St. The 16-inch high by 48-inch wide sign with the name of the park faces outward from the corner of E. Fourth and Hayes streets. The word “Welcome” in English and several different languages is featured on the back of the sign. Colon-Lopez was advised by the board to install it on metal posts.

The small community park is adjacent to Lopes Seafood & Mini Market and the owner is listed as Albano N. Lopes.

Representing Catholic Senior Housing & Health Care Services, Inc., Randal Wadsworth and CEO Joseph Shadid received approval for replacing the slate roof for the main roof, front porch and rear bump-out at 1304 Spring St. Shadid and Wadsworth explained the roofer told them the original shingles were too thin to repair. The commissioners agreed and approved replacing them with GAF Slateline shingles in ‘Antique Slate’ color for the quaint white-painted clapboard house.

Kala Shunmugam’s efforts to seek board approval for converting a four-bay garage into a large carport without doors and replacing the collapsing roof with “historically inappropriate” architectural shingles behind 401 Fourth St. were rebuffed.

The board was united in refusing her permission to patch large areas of rotted mouldings and architectural details with Bondo putty as well as letting her replace a broken curved window with a flat-paned one in the turret at the front of the main building. The Victorian era yellow brick building that Shunmugam owns is in desperate need of repair, observed Chairman Philip Roeder. He informed her that the two-story turret protruding from the corner of the second floor is beginning to pull away from the building.

The board encouraged her to hire a qualified architect to advise her on how best to repair and restore her dilapidated property.

All voting in the evening’s project proposals was unanimous.

The Bethlehem HCC is charged with the task of determining if new signs or other alterations to a building’s exterior would be an appropriate fit for the neighborhood in one of three designated historic districts. Hearings are regularly scheduled on the third Monday of the month at city hall.

Obtaining a certificate of appropriateness is only a first step for business owners and residents in a designated historic district who wish to alter a building’s exterior. The BHCC’s recommendations are later reviewed, then voted on by city council before any project is allowed to proceed.