New owner vows not to remove historic Carlos Club sign

SAN CARLOS, Calif. (KGO) -- San Carlos residents are relieved that the new owner of the old Carlos Club vowed not to remove the historic neon sign above it. It's been there for 70 years and has become a beloved landmark.

The new owner of the club showed up at the city council meeting Monday night and to much surprise, said what everyone wanted to hear, that the sign isn't going anywhere.

"We do respect the San Carlos people," John Lee said.

Lee is the new owner of the former Carlos Club. Monday he appeared at the San Carlos City Council meeting, reassuring the community that the beloved marquee at 612 El Camino Real will stay right where it has been since 1947.

"If you have a happy wife, you have a happy family. If you have a happy family, you have a happy business. So I believe everybody will be happy," Lee said.

The building is a historic landmark so it's no surprise that San Carlos residents became upset when Lee removed the neon tubing from the sign and made other modifications to the property without permits. More than 1,000 people signed a petition to save the sign.

"It's welcoming. It's fun, it's cheerful, artful, unique, special and just plain cool," Josh Wallace from the San Carlos Historical Society said.

"People see the sign and they identify with the town and it's a connection to a sense of place. And once that's lost, it can't be replaced," San Carlos City Councilmember Cameron Johnson said.

It's now up to city staff to follow up with Lee. San Carlos residents now keeping their fingers crossed that he'll keep his promise.