NORTHBOROUGH – Town Meeting on Monday rejected an article that would have, in part, amended Northborough’s sign bylaw to prohibit internally lit signs in the Downtown Business District.
The article required a two-thirds vote. But it received just 67 votes in favor compared to 53 against.
Proponents during Town Meeting noted efforts to create a new look for downtown. They also said that other communities have prohibited the signs for aesthetic, environmental and dark-sky reasons.
Opponents, however, had concerns that the article was a premature step, noting that Town Meeting had just voted to appropriate $150,000 to fund a downtown vision study through the Master Plan Implementation Committee.
What was proposed
The article was proposed by Planning Board members Anthony Ziton and Amy Poretsky, who presented the article to Town Meeting.
Poretsky said the Planning Board wanted to move forward with what she called “the number one” item mentioned by residents — improving downtown.
“This is a trend that has been going on for years in many surrounding communities,” she said.
Poretsky said this was the first step in rejuvenating Northborough’s downtown as a “pedestrian-friendly district that promotes our small businesses.”
Neighboring communities, Poretsky said, prohibit new internally lit signs while also promoting externally lit signs.
Poretsky said any business in downtown Northborough with an internally lit sign would not have to immediately replace their sign, instead being grandfathered in. That meant that these businesses would be exempt unless their sign is destroyed or changed.
Poretsky added that a “majority” of signs in the downtown area are externally illuminated and wouldn’t be affected.
“Externally illuminated signs are aesthetically softer,” Poretsky said. “They fit in with the pedestrian-friendly, neighborhood environment in the downtown versus the internally illuminated signs which shine upwards and are more appropriate in the highway districts, such as Route 9.”
Residents weigh pros and cons
Resident John Campbell is one of the members of Northborough’s Master Plan Implementation Committee.
He noted the previously approved study of downtown, saying that it would study what makes a downtown area appealing as a place.
“Signs play a role in that,” Campbell said. “We all know there are signs we like in town and signs that we don’t.”
The study will engage residents and property and business owners to define a vision for downtown Northborough that could be incrementally implemented, he said.
As such, he noted concerns about the sign bylaw amendment.
“I think it’s premature to bite off a zoning bylaw that might restrict what the consultants and what our committee…might view as the outcome of that study,” Campbell continued.
A handful of other voters shared their thoughts, asking questions and noting pros and cons of the sign bylaw amendment prior to the eventual vote to reject this article
Town meeting is continuing tonight as voters move through a number of articles on this year’s annual town meeting warrant.
A recording of the first night of town meeting can be viewed online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvJqlPwbrbg.
The Community Advocate will have additional coverage of both night one and night two of Town Meeting in the coming days.
