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Nantucket sign board recommends approvals for many applications, holds several for master sign plan or material clarifications
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Summary
The Nantucket Sign Advisory Council on April 7 recommended approvals for a range of carved and projecting signs and annual banners but held multiple applications pending revisions, especially where a building'specific master sign plan or freestanding-sign rules apply.
The Nantucket Sign Advisory Council met April 7 and recommended approval for a slate of sign and banner applications while holding several others for further review or revisions.
Chair Chris Young convened the meeting at 9:03 a.m. and led a line-by-line review of 28 agenda items, during which members repeatedly flagged two consistent concerns: adherence to locally adopted master sign plans for multi-tenant buildings, and the council'wide reluctance to approve new freestanding signs outside narrowly defined circumstances.
The council recommended approval for a number of commercial carved and projecting signs and seasonal banners. Applicants whose designs received favorable recommendations included the New Bedford Whaling Museum banners for the upcoming "Wider World in Scrimshaw" exhibition, carved quarterboards and projecting signs for Dairy Boy (14 Federal Street), a projecting oval for Act 60 (58 Main Street), and relocated signage for Patina (Yuletide Holdings at 28 Center Street). Caitlin, representing several wharf and West Creek applicants, won committee approval for a 26-by-17-inch carved projecting sign and for a double-sided projecting sign for West Creek after minor content and layout discussion.
Not all items moved forward. The board held multiple applications for signs at 28 B Easy Street (Sign Here Nantucket) and several Linda Loring Nature Foundation proposals for revisions and review against an existing master sign plan. Members emphasized that some proposed wall and projecting signs appeared inconsistent with a building'level master sign plan and that freestanding post signs are "a nonstarter" under the town guidelines unless they meet narrowly defined precedent. Chris Young said the guidelines "strictly prohibit" new freestanding posts in most locations. Kevin Kuester and Paul Wolf recommended that traffic/directional signs follow DPW standards rather than the board's freestanding-sign approach.
The council also considered temporary lawn signs from the Nantucket Land & Water Council for its "NoMo May" initiative. Willa Arsenault said the group planned roughly 20 temporary 24-by-18-inch yard signs placed on private property to denote unmowed lawns and link to education via a QR code. Members agreed these would be treated as private free-speech displays if logos were removed; the committee moved to allow staff to finalize a version without logos.
Votes at a glance (recommendations to the Historic District Commission or final board action): - Nisha at Evergreen Way (wall sign): recommended approval. - Whaling Museum banners (15 Broad Street, two applications): recommended, conditional on matching prior materials. - 28 B Easy Street (quarterboard/wall and projecting sign): held for revisions pending master sign plan review. - Dairy Boy (14 Federal Street quarterboard and projecting): recommended approval. - Act 60 (58 Main Street projecting oval): approved. - Patina (relocated projecting sign): approved. - Linda Loring Nature Foundation (multiple signs including proposed freestanding): multiple items held; freestanding signs discouraged; recommended fence-mounted or existing rock signage instead of new posts. - 40 Center Street projecting sign: approved. - West Creek (projecting and wall signs): recommended with minor content concerns. - NoMo May temporary lawn signs (Nantucket Land & Water Council): approved with staff authority to remove logos/branding and finalize. - 30 North Beach Street (hotel directional freestanding signs): held for revisions to meet DPW standards; staff advised switching to street-sign standards for traffic control. - Legit (Wharf) wall sign: recommended (not unanimous); projecting sign: recommended unanimously after modifications. - Land Bank / Sconset Trust park-rule signs: recommended after removal of logos and fence-mounted placement. - 12 Oak Street / VTT master sign plan matters (Kara): board accepted two signs at the corner with off-white background and requested final layout tweaks before final recommendation.
Board members repeatedly asked applicants to confirm materials, exact dimensions and sight-lines. Ben Norman (committee member) said of several applications, "I have no problem with the content," while Mark Gatone stressed consistency with prior approvals and the master sign plan. Staff flagged digitization and file-search challenges for older approvals and offered to provide earlier master sign-plan materials to applicants for reference.
The meeting closed after roughly two hours and 10 minutes. The board set its next meeting for April 28 and discussed moving to weekly meetings temporarily to process the spring caseload.
What happens next: For applications the Sign Advisory Council recommended, the full HDC or the relevant permitting authority will consider the council's recommendation; applicants whose items were held must supply revised drawings, choose alternate materials, or demonstrate compliance with an applicable master sign plan before the council issues a final recommendation.
