A recent Forum article calls Fargo “ a role model for small cities everywhere ,” largely due to our enviable historic downtown that is replete with shops and restaurants, plus the hugely successful Broadway Square. Even though very few regulations have guided its renaissance, downtown Fargo has maintained a pedestrian scale and design quality that attracts people to engage in business and leisure activities, as well as to live there as residents. But the unique quality of downtown Fargo is about to be shattered by a new pizza and chicken business that is moving into the old White Banner Uniform Shop .
The new occupant, the Boss’ Pizza and Chicken chain, proposes to redo the large, historic White Banner sign into a garish red and yellow monstrosity with a large bust of a pizza chef added to it. This will be one of the largest and most visible signs in downtown, and totally at odds with all the well- designed business fronts that give Broadway its character. What an affront to downtown that sign will be.
I hope the pizza and chicken folks will re-think their sign to make it more compatible with downtown Fargo. If not, perhaps it is time to begin thinking about sign regulations so that the citizens of Fargo can have a voice in what their city looks like.
Paul H. Gleye lives in Fargo.
This letter does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.
