Historic district approves revised hanging sign and door lettering for 18 William Street

The Berlin Historic District Commission approved revised signage and door lettering for 18 William Street during its regular meeting.

The applicant, Michael Mlan, presented a perpendicular hanging sign and a smaller logo for the storefront door. He said he designed a 16-inch-high sign to hang from a mounting point approximately 9 feet above the sidewalk and that the sign would project about 1½ feet downward. Commission members confirmed that the proposal satisfied the commission’s 7-foot minimum clearance from the bottom of a sign to the sidewalk and discussed the same clearance requirement for an “open” flag and any removable display.

Commissioners and several attendees debated the sign’s color palette and door font. One speaker urged a more restrained look and said, “I never want to see any in Berlin,” warning against what they described as a ‘Disney’ or cartoon appearance. Other commissioners and attendees praised the updated design as tasteful and likely to help attract foot traffic, and the applicant said he had moved the logo to the door, lowered the hours display for legibility and planned a removable sidewalk board.

A commissioner moved to approve “the door with the block lettering that matches the logo sign and the windows as presented” as the continuation of the prior case; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Commissioners emphasized that the 7-foot clearance requirement must be met on all projecting signs.

The applicant was cleared to install the approved sign and window/door treatments, subject to the usual installation and clearance checks. The commission did not codify a new standard on color or imagery but noted that approvals are considered on a case-by-case basis.