Sign Advisory Council approves corrected Bloom Bridal sign after size fix

The Historic District Commission Sign Advisory Council on Tuesday approved a revised sign for Bloom Bridal at 9 South Water Street after the applicant corrected an initial size error.

Chair Chris Young opened the discussion and asked the applicant to clarify measurements. Kara, the applicant, said she had miscalculated the sign dimensions: "I had a bad math day, I guess," and amended the application from 42 by 32 inches to 24 by 32 inches. Council members noted that under the sign guidelines allowable projecting/flat sign area is limited and that the corrected size brought the proposal into compliance.

Why it matters: the council enforces visual standards in the town's historic district to keep storefronts proportionate and visually compatible with buildings. Commissioners flagged the sign's font and logo as atypical for the district but said the hand-painted, carved sign and muted palette made it acceptable.

During discussion, member Ben Norman said he was uncomfortable with the font style, calling it "very unusual," while others noted the muted colors and the sign's proportions fit the streetscape. After clarifying that the corrected 24-by-32 size (about 5.3 square feet) addressed the earlier concern about exceeding allowed area, the council moved to approve the sign with a muted marigold/yellow edge banding.

The motion, recorded by the chair as moved by Kevin Kuester and seconded by Mark Catone, passed by unanimous voice vote. Chris Young confirmed the board's action and thanked the applicant.

The applicant may proceed with production as amended; staff will note the size correction in the application file.