Historic District Commission denies latest placement plan for veterans'markers, reaffirms Garden Club Circle preference

The Old Lyme Historic District Commission voted to deny a recently filed certificate-of-appropriateness application that proposed placing veterans'markers on the wings of the existing memorial and reaffirmed its prior preference that the markers be placed in the Garden Club Circle at Town Hall.

Chair moved that the commission deny the COA application and reaffirm approval for placement at the Garden Club Circle; the motion was seconded and, after discussion about signage jurisdiction, visual precedence, and trip/hazard concerns, the commission voted in favor by voice (motion carries 5'0'00).

Discussion centered on whether the markers count as "signs" under the commission's guidelines or whether they should be treated like sculptures or memorials. The chair read an opinion from counsel that the statutory definition of advertising signs has been interpreted broadly in state court decisions and that the commission has jurisdiction over signs that "promulgate doctrines or ideas," which entered the deliberations about whether the markers fall within HDC purview. Commissioners who favored placement in the Garden Club Circle noted precedent and aesthetics; others noted the garden-club project origins and the garden-club's willingness to have them in the circle.

The motion as framed by the chair was: "We deny the certificate of appropriateness application that was most recently filed and reaffirm our approval of placement at the town hall in the Garden Club Circle." The motion passed by roll/voice vote with the chair announcing "motion carries 5 0 0."