HDC enforcement staff flags mismatch in construction-sign guidance; committee agrees to codify adopted rules

Enforcement staff told the HDC Sign Advisory Committee on Nov. 18 that construction-sign provisions the commission adopted in 2021 were not carried into the 2022 online codification of the Town of Nantucket code, creating a mismatch between the HDC’s sign book and Chapter 3.40.

Kathy, an enforcement officer, said the July 2021 sign-book guidance limits attached construction signs to roughly 11-by-17 inches, allows a single 4x4 wooden post not to exceed 4 feet (only where attaching a sign to a structure is impractical), caps logo size at 15%, and requires removal upon substantial completion. "The guidelines that you all adopted in 2021 ... were not pulled through," she said, adding that the discrepancy means an enforcement letter might not match the legally codified text.

Commissioners agreed staff should proceed to codify the sign-book language and suggested re-engaging the builders association to circulate the guidelines and encourage compliance. Paul Wolf asked staff to verify a contractor’s claim that insurance companies require construction signs; Kathy said she would follow up and obtain verification rather than assume it is a universal requirement.

The committee also discussed outreach and compliance: staff will compare the adopted sign-book text to Chapter 3.40, correct the codification omission administratively, and consider a future agenda item that invites the builders association to help distribute guidance to members.

Next steps: staff to circulate the sign-book language and proposed codification correction to commissioners and to coordinate outreach with the builders association as appropriate.