Marietta City Meeting - April 6, 2026: Sign and Facade Approvals
Marietta City Meeting - April 6, 2026
The meeting on April 6, 2026, was a regular session of a city board (likely the Historic Preservation Commission) considering several requests for exterior modifications to commercial and religious properties. The board approved a hanging sign for a business, approved a church's facade changes with two color options, deferred window replacements on historic apartments pending compliance with historic guidelines, and approved a sign repaint for a shopping center with a condition on lettering color.
Discussion Items
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Hanging Sign at 148 Church Street – A business owner requested approval to add a hanging sign (16" x 20", wood, treated for weather) using existing hooks on the soffit. The sign would be black, white, and yellow (matching the door color). There was discussion about whether a variance was needed; the board confirmed no variance required as it would be the only sign. The board approved unanimously.
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First Baptist Church Exterior Changes – Don Dorsey, representing First Baptist Church Marietta, requested approval to repaint the Family Life Center (corner of Dobbs and Church streets) with a light cream color to match the main building complex, add a dark bronze metal canopy (25 feet wide, opaque, stationary) for weather protection, install new handrails replicating existing architectural theme, and repaint the banding, cross, and entrance surround using one of two color options: Option 1 – very light cream with a white accent; Option 2 – darker grayish brown (matching the base of the building). The church was split 50/50 on the color. The board approved the entire proposal including both color options, giving the church the choice. The board also noted the metal canopy would not resemble the airport canopy.
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Window and Siding Replacements at 36 Trammel Street – Jose Torres (PPR Building Design) sought approval to replace windows on buildings 30, 35, and 45 with PVC, and on building 37 (historic, built 1937) with wood window sash replacements, plus lap siding, repaint, replace a side staircase (pressure-treated wood), and install a flyover roof. Board members pointed out that historic guidelines (Section 9.2.09) require wood windows on elevations visible from public rights-of-way; PVC is only allowed on non-visible elevations. Since PVC had been approved for one building previously, Torres initially claimed all windows were PVC, but then corrected that building 37 would have wood. The board determined the window proposal did not comply and directed Torres to return next month with a revised plan for wood windows on visible elevations. However, the board approved all other requested items (siding, repaint, staircase, flyover roof) contingent on the window deferral. The motion passed.
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Mary Station Front Monument Sign – Merritt Lancaster (Bridger Properties) requested approval to repaint the brick base of the monument sign at 121 Church Street to match an adjacent wall, redo the sign backing to match previously approved awnings, and paint the iron black. The lettering (currently white) was hard to read against the white background. After discussion, the applicant agreed to paint the letters the same color as the background of the signage (Bungle House Blue). The board approved the application contingent upon the letters being painted Bungle House Blue.
Key Outcomes
- Hanging sign at 148 Church Street – Approved unanimously with no conditions.
- First Baptist Church facade changes – Approved with both color options, allowing the church to choose.
- 36 Trammel Street (windows, siding, etc.) – All items except windows approved; windows deferred and must come back next month with a proposal using wood windows on elevations visible from public rights-of-way.
- Mary Station sign – Approved contingent on lettering being painted Bungle House Blue.
Meeting Transcript
Um our request today is to add a sign, like a hanging sign, like you see other businesses have on the street. Um it is black white, and then the yellow is the same color as our door, which is the colonial yellow that's in the approved colors. I know it shows different, but I promise it's the same. Um that is our logo. Um the sign is sixteen inches tall by twenty inches wide. Um it is made of wood, it is treated so that it will not it will withstand the weather. Um, and it'll just be hanging. There are two existing hooks already um in the soffit that we will be hanging from, so we won't be doing anything to the building. All right. Shelby, does she need a variance or anything? Hard to tell. Do you guys have another sign? Like a main sign. This would be our only sign. We don't have any signage on the building. We have the awning, but that's all we have. You have the door. Well, okay, yeah, the door. Um is this gonna hang from the yes, it will hang from the you can't see them, but there are two hooks that already exist. Um I'm assuming previous businesses used. So like when you're walking down the street, you will see it. Yeah, you will face it. So the bottom's gonna hang down, but but it's gonna be above the door. Uh yeah, it'll come yes. It's it'll like very little. I know it this is a you know, proportionally is not exactly right, but I wanted you to be able to tell where the sign was gonna be. Um but yeah, it will barely hang it maybe like an inch below the door height, honestly. But yes, we made sure that we measured for like people height and walking and things like that. Yeah. All those in favor. Thank you. You're thinking that's uh one forty eight church street. Oh, that's a good thing. Um the agenda was he's there next on the addend. Well, I'm not complaining, I'm just trying to find it. No, because the agenda is an amend amended agenda that I left. Yeah, it's on the amendment. That has one forty-eight on there. This is amended in red here. I left it on your I left gave each one. No, I'm not sure. Got it? All right, Don, go ahead. Good evening. My name is Don Dorsey. I'm a member of First Baptist Church Marietta, and here this evening requesting your approval to make a couple or three changes to the exterior facade of the building that we refer to as our Family Life Center, which is located at the corner of Dobbs Street and Church Street, right across Dobb Street from our main building complex. Stop Shelby at this one if you would for just a moment. This is shown for reference only. This is a photograph of the exterior facade of our main building complex. Sharing these photographs to illustrate the colors that we would like to use to essentially recoat or paint the Family Life Center that exists directly across the street from our main building complex that you see here.
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