Advisory committee recommends carved-wood sign for Nantucket Pharmacy; matter to head to full HDC

The HDC advisory committee voted July 15 to recommend that a proposed projecting sign for Nantucket Pharmacy at 45 Center (Main) Street be carved in wood rather than fabricated from MDO or similar panel materials. The committee’s motion — carried by recorded roll call — will be forwarded to the full Historic District Commission for formal action at its public meeting later the same day.

An applicant representing Nantucket Pharmacy told the committee the sign had not been used previously at that entrance and that the application sought a projecting sign consistent in type and font with the shopfront’s existing lettering. Committee members debated allowable materials after a member read a sign handbook passage that recommends solid wood over plywood products and requires edge-banding when MDO (medium-density overlay) plywood is used.

Kevin Cuesta and Mark Catone said they favored a solid-wood carved sign to match the historic streetscape and to avoid deterioration seen in plywood signs; committee members noted edge-banding requirements and raised durability concerns for carved MDO. The advisory motion, moved by Kevin Cuesta and seconded, recommended approval only if made as a carved wood sign. The committee chair noted the advisory decision will be included in materials sent to the full HDC, which will take the final vote at the commission’s meeting that afternoon.

A committee member advised the applicant the full board will make the final decision and encouraged the applicant to attend that meeting to present any additional materials. The advisory committee’s recorded vote was unanimous in favor of recommending a carved wood sign.

Next steps: the advisory committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the full Historic District Commission for a final decision; the applicant was told how to obtain the meeting link and was encouraged to attend.