By Barrett Newkirk
August 07, 2008 08:19 am
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ANDERSON — The big brown bunny is coming to town.
The city’s Board of Zoning Appeals on Wednesday gave final approval to the giant Nesquik Bunny sign planned along Interstate 69.
The 50-foot-tall sign and its electronic marquee should go up in front of Nestlé’s new plant just east of Exit 22 by the end of September, said Robert Scherer, president of The Sign Group, the Indianapolis firm that designed the sign.
Nestlé is the second company to win approval of an “icon sign” along I-69. The Anderson City Council amended an ordinance in May allowing certain companies located along the interstate to have one additional large sign. Each sign requires city approval, and in June the zoning board granted Hoosier Park its request for a 70-foot sign near Exit 26.
In granting Nestlé its request and authorizing several variances for the sign’s size, the zoning board said the steel and fiberglass sign should draw attention to Anderson and encourage economic development.
“This will say you’ve arrived in Anderson,” city development director Michael Widing told the board.
Nestlé began construction of its Anderson facility in 2006. The plant is nearing completion and is expected to employ around 300 workers. A grand opening event is scheduled for Oct. 7.
Pam Krebs, spokeswoman for Nestlé’s beverage division, said the Nesquik Bunny conveys the feeling that the company wants to have at the Anderson facility. The cartoon character has represented the Nesquik brand of chocolate milk since 1973.
“We’re very fortunate to have a fun mascot to work with,” she said.
Scherer said the bunny sign will be less than half the size of the free-standing sign at the Hamilton Town Center at Exit 10 in Hamilton County, and Nestlé’s sign will use the same L.E.D. display technology.
The sign’s messages will include Nestlé promotions as well as community announcements, Scherer said, but it will not include any fast-moving or flashing lights.
“The most movement you are going to have is one image moving to the next or a brief video if they can program that,” he said.
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