Zoning board approves Bank of Newport digital window signs over traffic-safety objections

The Town of Middletown Zoning Board voted 3-2 to approve a special-use variance allowing Bank of Newport to operate digital display signs in the windows of its branch at 528 West Main Road.

Bank of Newport’s facilities director, Rod Topolewski, told the board the paired screens are intended to display rate and product information inside and outside the branch and replace printed materials. “It’s like a slideshow,” Topolewski said, adding that the bank chose the smaller available displays and that the exterior screens were turned off once the zoning issue was identified.

The vote followed extended comments from board members and residents who said the changing displays could distract drivers on what multiple speakers described as a busy, crash-prone stretch of West Main Road. One board member described the signs as “an added distraction” and said empirical traffic-safety data motivated tighter local sign rules. Another member said the displays could be adjusted to reduce their distractive effect and expressed conditional support.

Topolewski said the screens do not use animated graphics and that transitions run on a several-second delay; he added the interior-facing content is more detailed than what is legible from moving traffic. He told the board the signs reduce the need to replace printed posters and allow immediate updates of rates and offers.

Board members pressed for more detail about how quickly the exterior content cycles and the color/brightness standards the bank would use. The building official confirmed the signage was included in the branch renovation plans but acknowledged the exterior displays were not in conformance with the town’s sign rules when they were first turned on.

In debate, several members said they prioritized traffic safety over commercial benefit, citing the intersection’s accident history. Supporters of the variance noted the signs are set back more than 60 feet from the road and argued they are unlikely to cause additional danger if display settings are restricted.

The board approved the special-use variance by voice vote, three in favor and two opposed. The motion authorizes Bank of Newport to retain digital window displays subject to the approved permit; the board discussed but did not list specific numeric display limits in the public record during the meeting.

The bank’s exterior displays remained off during the hearing; Topolewski said the interior displays and other branches already use the same system. The applicant and town staff will follow up with a formal decision notice and any permit conditions.

Votes at a glance: Motion to approve Bank of Newport special-use variance for digital window displays — approved 3-2.