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Charles Town considers loosening downtown sign rules to allow logos while debating pylon signs
Summary
Staff proposed updating sign rules to permit business logos and relaxing some historic-district sign limits; commissioners cited the Supreme Court's Reed v. Town of Gilbert when weighing message restrictions and tasked staff to draft targeted amendments for projecting signs and research pylon-height/area limits.
Zoning administrator James presented three targeted sign issues on Nov. 25: allowing projecting signs that display tasteful logos, addressing ground-mounted sign heights, and reassessing the prohibition on pylon or pole signs in some commercial zones. "Our current rule says that you can only have the address and name of the occupant on the sign. You can't have a logo," James said, describing the change sought to make downtown signage more visually interesting and useful for customers.
Commissioners and business owners discussed examples from Williamsburg, Leesburg and Hagerstown to show tasteful logo use in historic downtowns. Several members cautioned about backlit or advertising-style copy and raised First Amendment constraints: James cited the Supreme Court case "Reed v. Town of Gilbert," warning the city can regulate size, material and placement but must avoid content-based restrictions that a court could overturn.
The panel debated pylon and multi-tenant signs along Somerset Boulevard and near highway-fronting sites, questioning whether the current commercial 64-square-foot allowance for ground-mounted signs is too large in some contexts. Members suggested limiting height and total square footage by zoning subarea and exploring multi-tenant monument signs for large shopping centers to reduce visual clutter and sight-line issues.
The commission asked staff to draft a narrow text amendment to allow projecting signs with logos while prohibiting overt advertising (phone numbers, discounts) and to return with examples and recommended caps for pylon and ground-mounted signs ahead of a public hearing.
