Owner Amy Groves wins approval for 14-foot, non-illuminated wall sign on West Liberty Street

The local review board approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for a 14-foot-wide wall sign at 205 West Liberty Street, granting the owner, Amy Groves, permission to install acrylic letters that staff said will be stud-mounted into mortar to preserve the building's brick. Planning staff described the sign as 22 inches tall, 168 inches (14 feet) wide and 0.5 inches deep and recommended approval with the condition that any support be drilled only into mortar joints rather than the brick.

"The height of the sign is 22 inches or 1.8 feet. The width is 168 inches or 14 feet wide, and it's got depth of 0.5 an inch," Planning staff explained during the presentation. Groves told the board the sign will be black and flat, like the marker used at her other office, and that the same company that installed her Martinsborough sign would perform the work and take care to minimize damage to the building's finish. "My name's Amy Groves. I'm the owner of Smallwood and Small Insurance," she said while describing the proposal.

Board members asked about a small existing wall light above the proposed sign location and whether lighting changes would require separate approval. Staff and members clarified that backlit signs are not allowed under the signage guidelines but that externally mounted fixtures that shine on a sign (for example gooseneck or sconce lighting) are permitted; the board asked staff to record that clarification for the permit file. Following the discussion the board voted to close the public hearing and then voted to approve the COA as recommended by staff, with the mortar-only drilling condition and the clarified lighting note. The planning office will notify the sign company and proceed with issuance of any required permit paperwork.