Design review committee asks contractor to revise municipal sign submittal

The Town of Northborough Design Review Committee, meeting remotely on Dec. 12, asked the sign contractor to revise and resubmit designs after staff found the submitted signs did not match the bid package. The committee focused on three municipal locations: the police station, town hall and the Northborough Free Library.

Committee members heard from staff that the contractor’s submittal deviated from the bid drawings. An unidentified participant addressing the committee said, “The contractor provided submittals for signs. Clearly, they did not match what is shown in the bid package,” and said the standard remedy is to request a revised submittal. The chair asked the committee for guidance on modifications to the three town signs.

The committee spent the bulk of discussion on the library sign’s placement. Staff clarified the submittal showed the library sign inside a state highway layout, which is not permitted without addressing MassDOT right-of-way rules. Committee members reviewed aerial and street-view images and weighed several options: placing the sign in a grass strip set back from the sidewalk, removing two concrete panel sections to create planting area, or relocating or transplanting a small tree to preserve sightlines. One member suggested asking Bigelow (a local contractor referenced in the discussion) for a price to relocate the tree rather than remove it.

Committee members also discussed practical details that will affect the design and cost: posts in state highway right-of-way must be breakaway (so granite posts are not permitted there), clearance from the ground to the bottom of the sign to avoid snow burial, and the need for an electrical feed. Staff noted two feasible electrical approaches at the library — pulling from an existing front‑corner panel or running conduit beneath grade — and said code requires 30 inches of cover for electrical and communications conduits.

Outcome and next steps: staff will consolidate the committee’s comments and ask the contractor to submit revised drawings. The revised submittal will be circulated to the committee for further review; the chair and staff said multiple revision rounds are normal for this kind of work. The committee flagged the library location as the most complex due to right-of-way and electrical constraints and instructed staff to work with an electrician and contractor once a preferred placement is chosen.

The discussion did not include a formal vote on sign design; the action taken at the meeting was a direction to request and circulate a revised submittal for committee review.