Germantown Design Review Commission Meeting - October 27, 2026

The Germantown Design Review Commission met on Thursday, October 27, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included approval of consent agenda, three regular agenda items, and liaison reports. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

• (25-006) Watertower Place Sign Policy: Approved unanimously for a sign policy at 3164 Forest Hill-Irene Rd.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Leslie Bolden (2422 Yester Oaks Dr.) spoke during the public hearing for the Bodine School expansion. She raised three concerns: (1) lighting – she noted the proposed 18 light posts (four S2 lights at 61 watts each behind her house) are excessive and asked for fewer lights, lower wattage, timers to turn off by 9 p.m., and only one front light left on overnight; (2) construction on Saturdays – she requested no weekend construction and adherence to hours discussed at a July 22 neighborhood meeting (start around school start time, end at 4 p.m.); (3) appreciation for the new landscaping (16 Oakland Hollies already planted). She also noted that the construction duration was stated as one year at the neighborhood meeting but two to three years at the Planning Commission meeting.

Discussion Items

• (22-020) Bodine School Revised Final Site Plan: The school at 2431 Yester Oaks Dr. proposes a 23,000 sq ft addition and a smaller 3,000 sq ft addition, plus expanded queuing and parking. The school currently serves 100 students (summer program 120) and will expand to 140 students. Staff confirmed the site plan meets all zoning requirements (parking, pervious coverage, no variances). The lighting plan replaces two unshielded 30-ft MLGW streetlights with 12-ft shielded LED lights; photometric plan shows site average 0.4 foot candles and 0.1 foot candles at property lines. Commissioners discussed lighting hours and safety. John Murphy (Head of School) stated the school's needs extend only to 9 p.m. for rare events. Staff will consult with Germantown Police Department and GMSD to determine appropriate lighting hours and public safety standards. The motion to approve the revised final site plan passed unanimously.
• (26-023) Discover Germantown Pack Partner Public Art Project: The city's Public Art Program seeks approval for a window decal for participating businesses in a citywide scavenger hunt featuring nine bronze wolf sculptures. The decal uses three colors (green, warm okra, ivory) and depicts a wolf. Commissioners discussed the use of an animal and colors; a commissioner requested a trademark search for the term "Pack Partner" and imagery. The motion to approve was amended to include a condition that a trademark search be conducted before final use. The amended motion passed unanimously.
• (19-936) Public Notification Sign Policy Revision: Staff presented minor updates to align with recent zoning text amendments, including requiring signs for conditional use permits (like Bodine School), and requiring sign removal within 10 days of final action. Approved unanimously.
• (26-022) Design Review Commission By-Laws Amendments: The by-laws were updated to reflect zoning text changes, remove subcommittee requirements, reduce meetings to one per month (fourth Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. with executive session), and align with state law on citizen comments. Approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Bodine School: Unanimous approval of the revised final site plan, with staff directed to follow up with Germantown Police and GMSD on lighting hours to balance school needs, neighborhood concerns, and safety.
• Discover Germantown Decal: Unanimous approval conditioned on a trademark search for the program's name and imagery.
• Public Notification Sign Policy: Unanimous approval.
• DRC By-Laws: Unanimous approval.
• Liaison Reports: The Public Art Commission reported selection of seven sculptures from 41 submissions for the Greenway sculpture exhibition; the Tree Board reported $40,000 in mitigation funds for street trees on Farmington, Hacks Cross, and Kimbrough medians; the Board of Mayor & Aldermen approved the Goodwin Farms PUD and renamed the library children's section the Sharon G. Goldsworthy Children's Area. An e-bike survey received 952 responses, with majority reporting unsafe situations.
• Next Steps: Commission members up for reappointment were reminded to submit applications by November 30, 2026.