Rules Take Shape For Town Center Signage District

Burlington’s Signage Subcommittee is finalizing the language for a new bylaw that would establish signage districts and create the rules for Town Center, the first such district the subcommittee has focused on. 

“You need to start somewhere,” said signage subcommittee member Betsey Hughes, “In terms of the ongoing saga of Burlington town signage as our journey, this is our first step.” 



Rules around business signage have been contentious in Burlington, according to the subcommittee. In fact, the subcommittee began when a Town Center business put up a sign that caused uproar among other local businesses. The hope was that the subcommittee would come up with common rules that would work for everyone – but, as the committee discovered, that was easier said than done. 

“This is a complicated town, and one size just won’t fit all,” Hughes said. 

Recognizing that a sign that might make perfect sense on Mall Road would be entirely out of place on Cambridge Street, the committee came up with the idea for signage districts, distinct zones with their own rules for what signs could look like, how they could be lit, and where on a property they could be located. But amongst them all, the application process would be the same, and the specifics would be clear and easy to understand. 

To get there, the committee also hired contractors, Utile Architecture & Planning of Boston, and conducted surveys of Town Center businesses to get a sense for what was important. Ultimately, they’ve landed on a fairly complete set of guidelines for the Town Center Signage District that, they say, balances the needs of businesses, residents and the town, and is aligned with the town’s Master Plan and the Town Center Districts Design Review Rules & Regulations. 

Some details are still being worked out; the Signage Subcommittee is working on integrating feedback on their new rules from various committees before the items to before Town Meeting in January, 2025. One such rule: enforcement. 

“We already have people not complying with zoning bylaws. We need to have some type of enforcement penalty that’s going to bring people to the table,” said Planning Board Member Brenda Rappaport. “So the Building Inspector can say ‘Shame on you” the first time, ‘Shame on you’ the second time and now there’s a warning and ‘Shame on you’ the third time and now there’s a penalty to it.” 

But because this is a zoning change, no immediate changes will be required from businesses; they would only be required to comply when they make new changes, or if there’s a new tenant in a space. The subcommittee is considering incentives, like technological help or fee waivers, to get to compliance faster. 

“I’m very excited about this,” said Planning Director Liz Bonventre. “Since I’ve worked here, I’ve always heard that signage is a very political issue and it’s hard to wrap our heads around.  I’m really glad it’s coming from Town Meeting members and outside consultants, taking the politics out of it a little bit.”