BUCKHANNON – The City of Buckhannon’s Consolidated Public Works Board approved a prototype for directional signage to businesses in residential areas.

The director of public works Jerry Arnold presented the new prototype during the Sept. 23 CPWB meeting. The visual he displayed depicted the directional sign right under an official City of Buckhannon street sign. The directional signs are intended to help residents and visitors locate hard-to-find businesses in residential areas.

“If you recall, a few meetings ago we had a discussion about signage for businesses located in residential neighborhoods,” mayor Robbie Skinner said. “We discussed that there are not many of them, so this is probably not going to turn into every street signs having five different signs pointing to businesses; these are very few and far between within our residential areas.”

The board discussed developing an application process for businesses in residential areas looking for a directional sign.

“I would like it to be a formal process, like the park reservations, so this board can make the determination as to ‘yea’ or ‘nay’,” Arnold said. “There could be a checklist, [for example], with items like whether they have a business license before it comes to board for approval and then the board would have the final say.”

Board member Pam Bucklew asked if the board or the city would be responsible for the sign in situations involving vandalism, and Arnold said technically, the new signs are not city property.

“Again, we don’t have very many of these at all, which is a good thing, but I agree that there needs to be a process; we need to establish that,” Skinner said. “This board needs to be able to approve or [not] approve them, but I really think the language we put into this application needs to specifically say ‘no home-based businesses.’ You can’t be just having any little Mary Kay or Pampered Chef business and have a sign to your house.”

The board liked the prototype Arnold presented and agreed to come up with a formal application process.

“I think this is a good prototype,” Skinner said. “I support it and then we will develop the procedures people will have to follow to apply.”

More information on the previous discussion about directional signage can be found here.