CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A newer change to Charlotte’s landscape will not catch your eye if you are walking on the street or driving in your car.
Instead, you have to look up and see the controversial addition to the city’s skyline.
The Truist sign, added to the top of the old Hearst Tower in Uptown, has attracted its fair share of controversy.
One of the votes against installing the sign came from what many would consider an unfamiliar face.
Sam Spencer should not be a stranger to Charlotte’s residents, but his position as Chair of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission means he’s a key part to almost every recent transformation in Charlotte.
“I think land use is the biggest and most important thing that a city does,” Spencer said while on a walk in NoDa.
"People really don’t care about till there’s something going on in their neighborhood,” he continued.
A Davidson native, Spencer has seen Charlotte sprout up around him in the last few decades.
A daily stop for coffee and walk in NoDa is part of his routine, especially in times of COVID-19. He called it his one opportunity a day to see and speak to people outside the house.
NoDa itself represents a vibrant and changing part of the Charlotte landscape, which Spencer has helped guide its growth.
But it was a recent vote against an unpopular sign, which is still creating headlines.
"We voted 4-3 to approve it, I was one of the three against it. Then I think it went to city council where it got a unanimous vote,” Spencer said, referencing the new signage on the Truist Center.
The vote, which was approved last year, allowed the signs on the old Hearst Building.
Installed later in 2020, they’ve brought criticism and petitions to remove from those saying they ruin the city’s iconic Art Deco skyscraper.
Despite the controversy, Spencer says it’s a sign of a larger issue.
"There are things that we’re passing in our city that we’re not paying enough attention to,” Spencer warned.
In his view, the blame falls on government and public alike.
The approved signs are likely here to stay, despite more than 2,600 signatures to remove them. The signage and the petition calling for their removal even garnered a stinging rebuke from the building’s architect. He called it a vandalization.
"That’s sort of like the lesson here, if you’re not paying attention, you’re going to get something you don’t want,” Spencer said.
As Charlotte’s landscape continues to change, he’s calling on all to look up and pay more attention.
In a statement, Truist responded to the controversy.
"We’ve had a lot of positive feedback here in Charlotte, but we also know there are others who feel differently, and we certainly respect their opinions. For us, it’s an honor to be a part of the iconic Charlotte skyline and the Queen City community. Our hope is that our new Truist Center signage comes to represent a symbol of something so much more — a purpose-led company that is committed to improving education, affordable housing, health care, and access to capital for everyone in our diverse community."