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Commission offers design feedback on Chamber’s island-wide wayfinding concept, stops short of formal approval
Summary
Designers for a Block Island wayfinding program funded by a Main Street grant presented a conceptual plan at the Historic District Commission meeting; commissioners praised the idea but raised design and location concerns and emphasized that locations outside the historic district require other approvals.
Designers for a Block Island wayfinding program funded by a Main Street grant presented a conceptual package at the Historic District Commission’s April 28 meeting and received general design support, but the Commission raised questions about locations, iconography and visual repetition.
The presentation outlined a package of roughly eight wayfinding signs to mark destinations such as the North Light, picnic pavilion, public restrooms and several beaches. The presenter said the signs are intended for town-owned locations and “not for businesses” and that the Town had received a grant through the state Main Street program to help produce consistent destination markers.
Commission members welcomed the concept but said the meeting was the appropriate venue only for design feedback, not location approval. Commissioner Mark Battle said the package “strikes me, it’s a great idea,” but several members cautioned against repeating the same island silhouette on every sign. “I feel like the entire island is getting a little heavy on silhouettes of the island,” one commissioner said, urging a simpler approach to the top-of-post emblem.
Commissioners also suggested a consistent beach symbol (for example an umbrella or wave) so visitors can immediately identify a beach; for site-specific placements — for example a sign opposite Mansion Road that appears to be on private property — the Commission noted that land ownership must be resolved before the signs can be installed.
The Commission clarified its limited jurisdiction: it can advise on sign fonts, color palettes and mounting details for signs that fall inside the historic district, but it cannot approve siting on municipal or privately owned parcels that lie outside its official district purview. Commissioners recommended the applicant coordinate with the Old Harbor Task Force and other town stakeholders on placements outside the historic district and to return with a formal application for any signs in the Commission’s boundaries.
No formal vote was held; the work was reviewed conceptually and the designer was asked to return with final applications for signs that fall inside the historic district.
Why it matters: A coordinated wayfinding network can reduce visual clutter and help visitors find facilities while preserving the visual character of the historic district. Commissioners emphasized design restraint and consistent iconography to limit the program’s visual impact while maintaining legibility for visitors.
Next steps: The presenter was encouraged to engage with the Old Harbor Task Force and the town for location permissions and to submit final design/mounting details for signs in the historic district when ready.
