Sign Grant Program
New Main Street Fairmont Business
You can receive financial and free design assistance with your new business sign or facade. It is essential, as a new business, that your sign directs customers to your location. Your sign will be your calling card and will reflect your personality, taste and the quality of your goods and services.
Existing Main Street Fairmont Business
You can receive financial assistance to replace your current sign which is an excellent opportunity to update your sign and receive free Design Assistance.
Your new sign and facade will give your storefront a fresh new look and attract new customers.
Program Guidelines
Grant Amount: Up to $1000
Business Match: 50%
All requests must be reviewed by the Design Committee and approved by the Main Street Fairmont Board of Directors. All new signs must be installed within 120 days of grant approval. A final inspection will be conducted by Main Street Fairmont before grant payments are approved.
Procedure:
The applicant must first contact the Main Street Fairmont Program Manager for a Main Street Fairmont Sign Grant Application. We will also provide you with applications to be filed with the City of Fairmont and the Historic Preservation Commission. Main Street Fairmont can also arrange for free Design Assistance.
Upon receipt of required information, the application will be forwarded to the Design Committee for review and then forwarded to the Board of Directors for approval.
Final Certification
Main Street Fairmont, Inc. reserves the right to conduct a final inspection on the completed project. Deviations from the approved plans may disqualify the applicant from receiving the grant. If approved designs have not been adhered to, the Program Manager will work with the grant recipient to resolve the discrepancies. If recommendations are not followed, payment will not be issued.
All applicants are required to comply with all City Codes and Ordinances.
Upon final approval, the application will be forwarded to the City of Fairmont for payment.
SIGN CRITERIA
All signs shall be subject to review and approval by Fairmont Historic Preservation Review Commission referred to as FHPRC.
Photographs, shop drawings, and color samples of proposed signs shall be attached to sign application and submitted for final approval.
• Signs shall be limited to trading name and logo only. Sign and sign logo are to be of a “Theme Nature”, that reinforces the name of the business, and products sold by the business.
• Animated components, flashing lights, formed plastic, injected molded plastic, channel letters, or box sign with acrylic front are prohibited.
• The use of natural materials is encouraged. Acceptable materials for the sign and sign band are:
• Finished wood
• Polished or brushed stainless
• Clear anodized aluminum
• Bronze
• Painted wood
• Glass
The following materials Shall Not Be Permitted:
• Simulated brick
• Simulated stone
• Simulated wood or wood grain plastic laminate
• Peg board
• Wall covering
• Texture paint
• Fake stucco
• Postal number, if required on storefront sign, shall be integrated into the design by the sign contractor.
• All signs or sign panels must have finished edges to form a cap that frames the sign.
• No exterior signage shall be permitted on any part of the building except as approved by FHPRC.
Lighting:
The following types of lighting will not be permitted:
• Exposed fluorescent tubes
• Unshielded lamps
• Exposed light bulbs
• Mercury Vapor
• Sodium Vapor
• No exposed conduit, tubing raceways, conductors, transformers or other equipment shall be permitted on building.
• Sign illumination must be controlled by a 24-hour time clock and operated during the hours 6AM to 9 PM or between store hours of business.
• All sign bolt fastening and clips shall be shall be of hot dipped galvanized iron, stainless steel, aluminum, glass or bronze, and no black iron materials of any type shall be permitted.
• Location of all openings for conduits and sleeves in the sign shall be indicated by the sign contractor on drawings submitted. The sign contractor will install same in accordance with the approved drawing.
• No sign maker’s labels or other identification (including UL Label) shall be permitted on the exposed surface of signs, except those required by local ordinance. If required by local ordinance, such labels or other identifications shall be in an inconspicuous location.
• The tenant shall repair to Landlords satisfaction any damage caused by Tenants sign contractor.
• All interior signs located within 5’-0” of front window must be approved by FHPRC and must meet the above criteria.
• Any alteration to existing sign must be approved by FHPRC. All alteration work is to be completed by professional sign fabricator.