McMinnville historic commission approves sign for Bluebell Boutique at 213 East Main Street

The McMinnville Historic Zoning Commission approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for new signage at 213 East Main Street, clearing the way for Bluebell Boutique to install a 3-by-10-foot sign faced in 3-millimeter aluminum composite.

The commission’s chair, Michael Griffith, called the meeting to order and introduced the agenda item for the COA request. An applicant who identified themselves as the business owner said, "it's called the Bluebell Boutique, and it says we're stylist tied with charm," and showed a photo of the proposed sign to the commission. The applicant also told the commission the storefront will open Oct. 3, with a grand opening at the Autumn Street Fair.

Commissioners and staff discussed the sign’s scale and how it fits within an existing brick surround on the historic storefront. Commission discussion noted the 3-by-10-foot sign will sit inside a brick border that the applicant said is roughly 2½ feet wider than the sign, allowing a visible margin on each side. The applicant described the face material as a 3-millimeter aluminum composite.

Raven, who identified herself as the property owner, gave comments about the building’s rehab history and noted the brick border framing the storefront. The minutes will reflect that Raven commented as the property owner and abstained from the decision-making process; she told the commission she would abstain from the vote.

Commissioner Ben moved to approve the COA for the new sign; a second was given and the chair called for the vote. The minutes record that the motion carried. The transcript records Raven’s abstention and that the commission approved the COA; individual yes votes other than the mover and the abstention were not specified in the meeting record.

The commission had no additional staff updates and adjourned shortly after the vote. The applicant thanked commissioners and noted the storefront opening plans.