Historic Preservation Board approves roofline lights at 515 West Main, defers rules for façade lighting

The Denison Historic Preservation Board on Feb. 18 approved a certificate of appropriateness for roofline LED lighting at 515 West Main (case 2025-011H), permitting the lights on all four sides of the building with the condition that they remain white except during designated holiday periods consistent with prior approvals.

The board’s decision follows staff recommendations to follow precedent set by a March 2024 approval for 400 West Main: roofline lighting may display colored/holiday lighting for a defined holiday period and remain white at other times. Staff and board members said the front‑facing decorative facade (hanging) lights fall under the city’s sign ordinance and will be handled separately by sign‑code staff and an ad hoc committee to clarify what qualifies as a “holiday.”

Applicant Kevin Arrington of 515 West Main told the board the fixtures were intended as holiday decorations and asked for clear guidance. “I just didn't understand really what a holiday was, and I didn't want to have… I just didn't wanna get in trouble,” Arrington said.

Staff told the board the roofline fixtures are already installed on all four sides and that the sign ordinance’s existing 90‑day holiday provision has been applied in prior approvals. The sign ordinance (Chapter 19) and related historic‑overlay provisions were discussed repeatedly; staff said sections of Chapter 19 (including sign definitions and the historic overlay provisions) will guide the ad hoc committee’s work to define “holiday” and to determine which types of façade lighting are treated as signs.

Board members debated how narrow or broad a definition of “holiday” should be — whether the term should cover the traditional Thanksgiving–Christmas period only or include other federal or culturally significant holidays — and emphasized the need for a clear, enforceable definition before allowing non‑white, persistent displays. Several members noted technology changes have introduced new lighting options that the ordinance did not anticipate and recommended consistent treatment across downtown properties.

A motion to approve the roofline lights using the same language applied to 400 West Main — effectively white lighting except for designated holiday periods and maintaining the 90‑day framework until the ad hoc committee issues definitions — passed on a unanimous vote. The board also asked that the applicant turn off the front façade lights until sign‑ordinance staff and the ad hoc committee clarify whether those fixtures qualify as signs and how they should be regulated.

The board directed staff to continue work with the city’s sign‑code staff and to bring draft definitions and templates from other cities to the ad hoc committee for review. No timeline for the committee’s recommendation was set at the meeting.

Why it matters: Downtown roofline and façade lighting affects the historic character of the Denison historic overlay and sets precedent for other businesses seeking programmable LED displays; the board approved the roofline lighting with conditions but deferred policy decisions about façade signage and non‑white displays to a broader ordinance revision process.

What’s next: Sign‑ordinance staff and an ad hoc Historic Preservation subcommittee will develop recommended wording to define holidays and to specify which façade lighting qualifies as a sign; the applicant must comply with the board’s condition to keep façade lights off until staff issues a determination.