Sign draws attention, commission concerned

Published 2:19 pm Wednesday, October 14, 2026

The Harrison Historic District Commission (HDC) met Monday to hear from two businesses on the square attempting to improve their locations. Chair Pat Brown introduced the newest members of the commission, Ann Hancock and Nancy Dodson. Commissioners Wayne Keith and Ken Sevills were also present.

Debbie Ackerson, CEO of the Marshall Boston Mountain Rural Health Center, was representing the Women’s Clinic opening on the square at 112 N. Willow St. She hopes to have the clinic open in January.

Plans to install privacy film, a replacement awning and a new sign were discussed.

Ackerson and City Engineer Wade Phillips explained that a permit had been granted to the clinic without it being first reviewed by the HDC. As a result, the sign was installed without their approval. Phillips said, “The sign permit should not have been issued ahead of this review. I’ve had those discussions with the departments that handle that. Unfortunately, that puts us in a bit of a difficult situation of having to do this review after the fact.”

The HDC determined that the City Planning Commission would need to weigh in on the sign first, as it occupied more than 20% of the building’s facade.

Hancock, one of the newest commissioners, summed up the opinion shared by the rest of the commissioners: “It’s too big. I came down Main Street. That’s the first thing you see on the whole side of the building.”

The sign, which exists solely to identify the purpose of the building on which it is attached, is apparently doing its job too effectively for the commission. For reference, the clinic is next door to Harness Boots & Shoes, which has an oversized three-dimensional red boot attached to its facade.

Ackerson’s proposed window tinting, intended to provide some privacy for the clinic’s patients, was also mulled over by the commission.

Savills expressed the prevailing opinion of the commission when he said, “It’s the blacking out process that bothers me.” He said that he understands the need to provide privacy but doesn’t want a “black hole” on the square.

“I like the lighter color just because I like lighter colors rather than dark colors on something like that,” Savills explained. His conundrum is that he understands that transparent privacy film will not provide privacy for the clinic’s patients.

Chair Brown added, “We don’t have our own design standard set, so we’re required to maintain the standard Interior Department guidelines.”

The recommended guidelines, provided by Phillips, say privacy film should be installed on the interior, be non-reflective, be translucent, avoid a mirrored tint, be limited, not obscure framing, not eliminate transparency, and be readily removable. He informed the commission that the film would serve a purpose and is completely removable, and that these factors should be considered.

Of the guidelines, Phillips said, “They’re vague. They’re intended to be vague.” He continued, “Certainly it’s not something we would want to prohibit, especially in the case of a medical office where privacy would matter.”

The commission asked Ackerson if she’d considered alternatives like shades or folding screens. “Whatever you require us to do, we’ll have to figure it out,” Ackerson said.

Ultimately, the commission decided that the Women’s Clinic will need to place sample films on its storefront so they can see what each will look like.

The commission didn’t find anything wrong with their proposal to repair the awning.

The owners of Peaceful Massage, located on 124 E. Rush Ave., sought approval for building renovations. They intend to remove a wooden facade from around their building, replace an awning and install an exterior staircase to allow their upstairs to be turned into an apartment.

The commission had no problem with the awning replacement.

The wooden facade, which was believed not to hold any historical significance, is covering up the original brick construction. The state of the underlying brick is unknown. A discussion about whether the brick should or could be painted took place.

Generally, unpainted brick should remain unpainted according to guidelines. However, the exposed brick on the building is already painted, creating a potential problem if it is discovered that the brick beneath the wooden facade is not painted. Should that brick be allowed to be painted to match the rest of the building? Should that portion of brick remain unpainted? These are difficult questions that the HDC will need to answer. It was determined that the owners should remove the facade and then return to the commission for further guidance.

Regarding the stairwell proposal, the commission has requested a drawing to make sure it is appropriate for the building.

Finally, the HDC discussed establishing local guidelines. Phillips is hopeful about a grant that will allow the city to hire consultants to determine how the commission will assess the appropriateness of historical building renovations. He expects this to cost between $40-50k. Phillips anticipates that the grant recipients will be announced early next year, with the process of establishing rules taking six to nine months.

The process will entail stakeholder involvement, public hearings and city council approval.