Town of Lenox
Planning Board
March 13, 2012
Land Use Meeting Room
Members present: Chair Joseph A. Kellogg, JK; Vice Chair Steve Sample, SS; Mark S. Smith, MS; and Gary Schiff, GS.
Members absent: Kate McNulty-Vaughan, KMV.
Staff present: Mary Albertson, Town Planner, MA
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm.
Approval Not Required Plans: No plans were submitted.
Sign Bylaw Amendments: The Board continued discussion regarding proposed new sign regulations for the village. JK said he would like to add a purpose section to the bylaw which only addresses the new sign district created by the amendment. Discussion ensued about a name for this new district. JK does not like the name “Commercial Historic District”. Other suggestions were proposed including “Village District Sign Overlay”. The consensus was to revisit the name of the district at the next meeting.
JK said that MA will need to modify Section 5.2.4 – Signs in All Districts since, with the new bylaw, signs in the village will no longer be regulated by this section. He noted, however, that we will need to include some of those in the new bylaw. SS is concerned that each business could have a potential additional 43 square feet of signage if they utilized all of the by-right allowances in the proposal which include directory signs, window signs, sandwich signs, banner signs, awning signs, open signs and menu signs. He thinks this is too much signage. Discussion ensued regarding the amount and type of additional by-right signs. The consensus was to take awning signs off the list of potential by-right signs. The Board also agreed to limit businesses to either one sandwich sign or
one banner sign by-right.
The Board discussed the definition of sign area. GS is uncomfortable including the background area in the calculation. JK and MS said there have to be some guidelines for measuring the background.
Discussion ensued regarding window signs. Displays are exempt, but the Board needs to agree on a percentage of the window or window area that can be used for signs. This matter requires further discussion. MS will develop a sketch to illustrate total window area.
JK said he wants to remove the reference to the HDC certificate of appropriateness. MA said there may be instances when the HDC needs to issue a certificate. SS said that HDC still has a role. JK feels that the new bylaw should allow the majority of signs by-right without HDC review on a case by case basis. MA suggested that the details regarding the HDC role must be clarified. She noted that the next HDC meeting is March 20th. MA will be in attendance and MS and JK may attend if their schedules allow. The discussion was tabled to the March 27th meeting.
Recommendations to Town Boards & Commissions: No recommendations were requested.
Review Correspondence: Decisions and notices of public hearings from abutting communities were reviewed. JK confirmed that two members will attend the BRPC Fifth Thursday Dinner on March 29th regarding permitting for solar projects.
Minutes: GS made a motion to approve the minutes of February 28, 2012. ~MS seconded the motion and the Board voted 4-0 to approve.
Other Business: The Board rescheduled the April 10, 2012 meeting to April 3, 2012.
GS made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:35 pm. ~SS seconded the motion and the Board voted 4-0 to approve.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Albertson
| 
