Vienna board approves most sign applications, OKs EV chargers and defers church monument sign

The Town of Vienna Board of Architectural Review on March 19 approved a series of storefront and monument signs, granted conditional approval for a wall sign and tenant panel for a new nail salon, and cleared plans for EV chargers on property owned by Navy Federal Credit Union. The board deferred one church monument‑sign application so the applicant could revise mounting, color and seam placement and return with samples.

The decisions affect properties across Vienna’s commercial corridors, including 374 Maple Avenue East, 120 Church Street NE, 107 Center Street North, 121 Maple Avenue West, and two Navy Federal sites. The approvals generally carried conditions directing applicants to work with staff on final materials, color samples, mounting details and scaled renderings.

Applicants described modest design changes or corrections to existing installations. Patty Papworth, representing Lisa Matthews for 374 Maple Avenue East, confirmed a typographical correction in the business name and presented a tenant‑panel design that the board agreed should match neighboring turquoise panels; a board member moved to approve the item and the motion passed.

Faye Wang, who identified herself as representing the Chinese Church of Virginia (CCCVA), asked to replace the inlaid concrete lettering on the church monument at 541 Marshall Road SW. Board members said the proposed thin aluminum backer and acrylic letters risked looking temporary; they suggested alternatives such as inlaying panels, softening the backer color to match the mortar or brick, concealing fasteners, and consulting a mason. "We…