Historic Landmark Commission approves signs for Mines Meat Market, recommends variances to Design Review Committee

BOERNE, Texas — The Boerne Historic Landmark Commission on June 9 approved a certificate of appropriateness for three new signs for Mines Meat Market at 101 South Main Street, Suite C, and voted to forward recommendations to the Design Review Committee to consider variances for total sign area and for a projecting hanging sign.

The decision affects a hanging sign, an attached canopy sign and a wall-mounted sign proposed for the East San Antonio-facing side of the noncontributing 1967 commercial building. Staff recommended approval of the signs’ design but noted the package exceeds the Unified Development Code limits for tenant sign area and the projection allowed under canopy rules, so the applicant requested variances.

Joanne Marie Andrade of the City of Boerne Planning Department told commissioners the three signs form a single cohesive package for the new business. "All 3 signs meet the historic district guidelines in terms of material, scale, and design," Andrade said, while also noting the package exceeds UDC limits on sign area and projection.

The proposed signs are described in staff materials and in the applicant’s presentation as follows: a hanging wooden-bracket plaque sign, 2 feet 6 inches by 4 feet (10 square feet) with 7.5 feet of pedestrian clearance and a 4-foot projection that exceeds the UDC projection limit for the canopy; an attached canopy sign 2 feet by 12 feet (24 square feet) with an 11-foot pedestrian clearance; and a wall-mounted sign 4 feet by 12 feet (48 square feet). Together the three components total 82 square feet. Under the UDC, allowable sign area for a tenant space with 50 feet or less of frontage is 25 square feet.

The applicant, Mason Mines, told the commission the large wall sign will be painted on stucco rather than built as a wood sign and showed photographs of other approved Main Street signs to argue the request is consistent with existing local approvals. "The bigger sign ... will not be a wooden sign," Mines said, and pointed to nearby examples where signs exceed canopy projection or square footage to demonstrate local precedent.

Commissioners focused on design compatibility and on whether the DRC should consider the variances. Commissioners Nichols and Graves moved and seconded approval for sign 1 (application 2025-266), which passed. Commissioner Wright moved with Graves seconding approval for sign 2 (2025-267); the motion passed. Commissioner Graves moved with Wright seconding approval for sign 3 (2025-268); that motion also passed. Each motion approved a certificate of appropriateness and recommended that the Design Review Committee consider the requested variances. The recorded roll-call names were not read on the record; the motions passed with assent from commissioners present.

Staff confirmed the submitted square-footage calculations measured the lettering and individual elements (the form submitted counted letters/words rather than a single filled rectangle), so switching the wall treatment from wood to painted stucco did not change the calculated aggregate area used for the variance request.

With the Historic Landmark Commission’s approvals, the applicant will take the variances to the Design Review Committee, a five-member body of mayoral appointees confirmed by city council, which has authority to grant or deny the variances under the UDC. The commission noted the applicant’s examples of nearby signage as helpful precedent during deliberations.

The special meeting adjourned after the approvals.