Fox Chapel resident Bill Kolano believes his town has an image problem.

Specifically, the image that serves as the borough’s logo, on street signs and newsletter.

“It’s time for a refresh,” the longtime graphic designer told council at its April 18 meeting.

Kolano, president of Kolano Design, presented a couple of alternatives to the borough’s logo.

The current image features two large trees on the left, a smaller one to the right of a chapel, and a fox just left of center appearing to walk toward the chapel.

It’s all drawn in dark green with a frame around it with the words “Borough of Fox Chapel” either directly underneath or to its right, depending on where it is being used.

“Typically, a logo is refreshed every seven to 10 years,” Kolano said. “This one has been in use for several decades. … In a reduced scale, it looks ‘globby.’ ”

Several borough officials said they couldn’t recall when the logo was made or who made it. They plan to research its origin.

Kolano went through several drafts and offered two different logos, both without a frame, with the wording changed to “Fox Chapel Borough.”

One of his logos depicts the fox drawn in red, a tree to the right in light green, and a chapel to the left in a slight gray tone. A trail zig-zags its way in through the middle and around the tree.

The second option had the tree to the left, the chapel in the center, and the trail leading to the fox at the bottom, facing right. It was all in green except for the word “Borough,” which was in gray.

“It’s amazing what you can do with so few lines,” Councilwoman Mandy Steele said.

Kolano, who has served as a design consultant for several projects throughout Western Pennsylvania, said he was inspired to take action after looking at the logo in a borough newsletter.

Michael DiVittorio | Tribune-Review Fox Chapel resident Bill Kolano, president of Kolano Design, presents potential borough logos at a council meeting April 18.  

Also wants redesigned street signs

He also proposed changing borough street signs so it did not have a “wig” sitting on top of an orange box with the words “Fox Chapel Borough” inside it. The name of the street is written below in white with a brown background.

Kolano shared images of street signs with the new logo on top, a thin orange line in the middle of the sign, and the street name at the bottom.

Borough Manager Gary Koehler said there would be no additional cost to the borough to incorporate a new logo, and street signs would be replaced as needed.

Council reaction mixed

Council’s reaction was mixed, with a few members in favor of keeping the historic image, and others inviting a change.

“I like change,” Councilwoman Sarah Hanna said. “I like updating and saying fresh.”

Vice President Harrison Lauer said he would be willing to discuss the matter further.

“I am supportive of looking into it,” he said. “Whether we ultimately change the logo will depend on what we come up with.”

No votes were taken on the proposal.

Kolano said shortly after the meeting that he expected those types of reactions to his presentation.

“They acted as I would have expected,” he said. “Some of them were looking at it for the first time, and so there was a little bit of a surprise but a very healthy discussion.

“I feel that everybody has a responsibility to give back to the community. I knew this was something that wasn’t going to be budgeted, and it’s the fastest way to see change.”

Residents who want to weigh in on the logo discussion can do so by contacting the borough office.

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