Are Signs Taking Over the Square? New Committee to Examine Downtown Dilemma

By Alyssa Schnugg
News Editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

A new committee is being formed to examine whether the downtown Square in Oxford has too many signs.

At its meeting on July 8, the Oxford Planning Commission requested that the Mayor and Board of Aldermen form a committee to evaluate the quantity, size and location of municipal signs around the Square.

Alderman Janice Antonow likened the overabundance of signs to someone’s own home.

“You add things here and there and you don’t realize how much junk has piled up, then someone new comes over and is like, ‘That’s a lot of junk,’” she said at the Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday.

Alderman Mark Huelse said he counted six parking meter signs just standing in front of his business, Something Southern.

“Those are just the ones I could see standing there,” he said.

The board approved forming the committee and appointed Antonow to sit as the board’s representative. Director of Planning Ben Requet said it was suggested by the Planning Commission that the committee should include a member from the Planning Commission, Courthouse Square Preservation Commission, Visit Oxford and others.

The committee will only examine municipal sign usage and not private or commercial signs.