Campton planning board flags Penguin Fuel sign submission as inaccurate; variance likely for gas-price sign

Elie ElChalfoun, project manager and project engineer for the Penguin Fuel project, presented sign details to the Town of Campton Planning Board at the Aug. 6 meeting after the store’s site plan had been approved without sign specifications. The board said the information provided to the meeting was not accurate and asked Mr. ElChalfoun to return with corrected measurements.

Board members told Mr. ElChalfoun that, because the business is remaining the same, the highway-facing sign, the canopy sign and the gas-price sign are being treated as grandfathered only if their dimensions remain unchanged. Members stated that grandfathered signs cannot exceed 32 square feet in dimension and indicated that the applicant may need to seek a variance from the Zoning Board specifically for the gas-price sign.

Cathlin Lord, the temporary Planning and Zoning Coordinator, said she will contact the town’s legal counsel to clarify whether grandfathering affects the town’s 32-square-foot sign limit and whether signs that appeared on the old building may be reinstalled on a new building. The board advised the applicant to supply accurate sign dimensions and documentation; Mr. ElChalfoun will follow up with the corrected information and any required variance application.

The board’s guidance does not represent a final administrative decision; it identifies next steps for the applicant and directs staff to check legal and zoning requirements before the town takes any formal action.