Commission allows State Farm sign at 341 S. Chestnut with size limit tied to nearby sign

The commission approved a certificate of appropriateness for signage at 341 South Chestnut Street, conditioned on the sign’s exterior dimensions not exceeding those of an existing nearby sign (referred to in the meeting as the Moon and Melvin sign).

Applicant representatives said the proposal reuses a preexisting State Farm sign face and would mount it in a new 6‑by‑10 foot metal frame placed at a 45‑degree angle to the corner so it is visible from both streets. Robbie Anderson, assisting the applicant, told commissioners the sign face is a plastic/vinyl panel (approximately 4 by 10 feet) that will be inserted in a metal frame; the frame will be black and the sign face will use State Farm red and white colors.

Commissioners discussed guidelines that prohibit vinyl signs on downtown Main Street and noted that the property is a freestanding historic house within the historic district and not a traditional downtown storefront. Several commissioners said the town’s signage guidance was written primarily for contiguous downtown commercial storefronts and not for standalone historic houses being used commercially. The commission considered scale and placement and compared the proposed sign’s size and height with other signs already in downtown.

After discussion a motion passed to approve the sign with the condition that the sign’s total exterior dimensions (height from ground and overall width) not exceed the exterior box of the Moon and Melvin sign; the motion passed unanimously. Staff said the certificate will record the allowed exterior dimensions and that staff will measure the Moon and Melvin sign to define the permitted maximum.