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Clayton plan commission backs city program for vinyl window coverings on vacant storefronts
Summary
The Plan Commission recommended a city program requiring vinyl, preapproved window coverings for ground-floor vacant storefronts, with property owners responsible for installation within 15 days of vacancy and an option to request an alternative graphic or a tenant‑promotion graphic.
The Clayton Plan Commission on Jan. 6 recommended that the Board of Aldermen adopt an amendment requiring ground-floor vacant storefront windows to be covered with preapproved vinyl graphics within 15 days of vacancy, with the property owner or tenant bearing the cost and responsibility for installation. The program would standardize designs approved by the Board of Aldermen, allow an alternative-design approval pathway (including promotions for imminent tenants), and permit administrative approval or ARB review depending on the submission.
Gary Carter, the city’s director of economic development, said the administrative approach allows property owners or their vendors to download a city‑approved design file and print and install film themselves. He said the city looked into alternatives and found no currently available sustainable material that met durability and appearance goals; staff recommended vinyl for longevity and colorfastness relative to the paper wraps previously used.
Commissioners discussed practical issues: whether 15 days from vacancy is realistic (staff and Gary said the date of vacancy is known under commercial leases and property owners would need to plan); whether coverage should preserve a small visible window for passersby to peer into a space undergoing active fit‑out (some commissioners noted the draft permits covering 80% of windows, which could allow limited peeks); and long‑term maintenance concerns (yellowing or fading). Staff said vinyl is more colorfast and durable than the paper wraps that previously fell down or faded.
Under the proposed program, the property owner would pay for installation and select one of the preapproved designs or apply for an alternative. The commission voted to recommend the amendment to the Board of Aldermen.
Why it matters: the program aims to improve downtown streetscape appearance and reduce recurring maintenance problems from paper coverings on vacant retail windows while creating a consistent, city‑approved graphic program that can also be used to promote future tenants.
