Some Santa Fe city councilors want Los Alamos National Bank to downplay its logo on the electronic sign proposed for the Genoveva Chavez Community Center.

Last year, the bank offered to pay for $25,000 of the $40,000 sign, which is to have a lighted marquee. But after early neighborhood notification meetings earlier this year, the height of the sign was cut by five feet.

On Monday, councilors on the Finance Committee had other questions about the sign.

Councilor Chris Calvert wanted assurance the light-emitting diode, or LED, lights wouldn't cause a ``blinding flash'' on Rodeo Road like San Felipe Pueblo's Hollywood Casino sign along Interstate 25.

``We're real confident that the illuminations will be very reasonable, much more reasonable than probably the parking lot's (lights) were,'' responded Liz Roybal, the center's manager.

Roybal told the councilors Monday that the center's existing sign recently was hit by a car, but she did not respond to messages Tuesday asking about the extent of the damage.

Councilor Karen Heldmeyer wanted to know how much the extra part of the sign to accommodate the bank's name and logo will cost. She said the bank only needs to note it has an automated-teller machine inside the center.

``When people say (the sign) looks too commercial, what they're saying is, `This isn't just a sign for the city facility. ... It's also going to be advertising a commercial establishment,' '' Heldmeyer said.

Roybal said she did not know the breakdown of the costs, but she said bank officials are willing to work with the city. ``We are definitely able to go back to the drawing board,'' she said.

Councilor Matthew Ortiz questioned whether it was appropriate to grant a variance for the proposed sign, now planned at 15 feet high and 13 feet across. He also noted the name of the facility and the bank would be in blue letters nearly the same size.

``Now don't get me wrong, I love the Los Alamos National Bank's colors -- they're the Horsemen colors,'' said Ortiz, a St. Michael's High graduate.

Fidel Gutierrez, vice president of Los Alamos National Bank's Santa Fe branches, said in an interview Tuesday that the sign is being designed by Zeon Signs of Albuquerque, a branch of Electrical Products of New Mexico.

He said the bank has supplied scoreboards for Los Alamos schools before, but this will be the first joint venture with the city of Santa Fe.

Asked if he would be willing to reduce the size of the bank's name and logo on the sign, Gutierrez said that would depend on how much they were reduced.

Contact Tom Sharpe at 986-3080 or tsharpe@sfnewmexican.com.