Design Review Board OKs replacement digital sign on Old Trolley Road

The Summerville Design Review Board on May 28 approved a request to remove and replace an existing changeable-copy digital sign on Old Trolley Road, concluding the new unit can be configured to meet the town ordinance.

Staff introduced the item as a final-review request for an existing, nonconforming sign. The staff report noted the sign’s square footage fits the ordinance standard but said the applicant must show compliance with two operational criteria: that the sign’s messages are displayed in one color and that messages do not rotate faster than once every eight seconds.

Applicant representative Liam Oil of AAA Sign Company told the board the existing sign — built by Watchfire — is no longer supported and cannot be repaired because replacement parts are unavailable. He said the replacement would be the same size as the current sign and removable under the board’s nonconforming-sign rules.

A vendor representative, Chris of Dacttronics, described the unit’s configurable settings and how the applicant will meet staff conditions: “So, we can set the time for 8 seconds and obviously we can set the color as well,” he said, explaining that the content-management software can restrict message duration and limit color choices to satisfy the ordinance.

Board members asked staff to confirm whether the proposal met each of the ordinance’s numbered conditions. Staff said the sign meets the square-footage limit and that the applicant must demonstrate the single-color and minimum 8-second rotation settings at permitting.

A member moved to approve the final review; another member seconded and the board verbally recorded the motion as approved.

Next steps: the applicant must supply configuration details and material/schematic submittals to staff and comply with the town’s site-disturbance and permitting requirements before installation.