Members of the Clinton Design Review Board again Thursday night said the House of Pizza restaurant that committed to stay in Uptown Clinton after it was destroyed by the Aug. 27, 2024 Musgrove Street fire cannot install the $14,000 sign that it wants to install as a marketing instrument.
The sign as proposed violates two provisions of the Historic District design plan - 1. It is internally lighted; and 2. It is at the roof of the building, not at the frieze which is below the second floor windows.
This was a called meeting of the board; its listing on the city website said its regular meetings are the second Tuesday of each month, if there is business to come before it. HOP Owner Narmeen Abojamoos did not re-apply for a sign permit, and she was not invited to Thursday’s meeting. The agenda said the discussion was for the “House of Pizza - Musgrove Street Request” and City Manager Joey Meadors took the lead in asking the DRB to broker a compromise that could abide by the city code and keep the business in Uptown Clinton.
“I am requesting a happy medium,” Meadors said. “House of Pizza is the only restaurant open after dark. … It is a staple in our community. It is open 7 days a week. I don’t want a sign to come between the city and a business.”
Abojamoos was there to potentially answer questions, and there was no public input time.
Board Member Charlotte Slice said, “Why have codes and ordinances, if we are not willing to apply them, as all swore an oath to do? If codes are set aside, this board will constantly be presented with exceptions to consider. Is that fair to a business down the street that has followed code?
“I recommend that House of Pizza reps sit down with our planning consultant, and come up with an amended design that meets code. This seems like an easy solution.
“If the Design Review Board and city staff are to protect the historical integrity and character of what is left of our historic district, then we should follow the guidelines.”
Before the Aug. 27, 2024 fire, HOP won DRB approval for a lighted sign. But that was on its original one-story building, and the DRB was told that once it was installed, at least one member thought it was not the sign as described to the DRB. Once that building was totally destroyed, HOP bought the Freshens restaurant on the same block from Presbyterian College and spent about $1 Million retro-fitting it into a new restaurant which already has opened - that is a two-story building. Abojamoos has said the frieze (below the second floor windows) is not an appropriate place for a sign, structurally, and a lighted sign high up on the building would improve lighting all along Musgrove Street.
A countering argument to that second point presented to the DRB was that House of Pizza doesn’t need a sign “that can be seen from Whiteford’s.”
House of Pizza’s new sign request was denied in June, and the time when HOP could have sued in county court to challenge the denial has passed (30 days, according to the city ordinance).
DRB members said several times during the meeting that they value House of Pizza as an Uptown Clinton business.
In the end, the board decided against granting any variance(s) and against tabling the matter and, instead, urged HOP to submit a modified design. There was no formal application in front of the board, so no comments from neither a business owner nor the public were necessary, based on DRB protocols.
What the City of Clinton
website says about the
Design Review Board:
Purpose
The Design Review Board is responsible for the implementation of the City of Clinton Design Review Ordinance. The Design Review Board is charged with protecting the architectural appearance of the city and as such reviews and approves plans for signs, colors, building construction, façade changes, and demolition in the historic district.
Applicable Law
The authority to create a Board of Architectural Review or a Design Review Board is provided to local governments by the Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act of 1994.
Applicable Local Code
The Design Review Board receives its local authority from the City of Clinton Design Review Ordinance, which was enacted in 2005 and amended in 2010 and 2015. It is a part of the City of Clinton Zoning Ordinance.
Meeting Dates
The Design Review Board meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm in the City Council Chambers when there is business to come before the Board. The meeting is cancelled if there is no business to come before the Design Review Board, and additional meetings and work sessions are held as needed.
Membership
State law specifies that a Design Review Board cannot have more than ten members. The City of Clinton Design Review Ordinance establishes a seven member Design Review Board for Clinton. Members are appointed by a majority vote of the City Council of the City of Clinton to two year terms and are limited to two consecutive terms. Individuals who have served two terms may be reappointed for additional terms after a one year absence from the commission.
As stated in our Codes: The Design Review Board exists to protect the architectural integrity of historic structures and the character of the City. The new location of the House of Pizza at 112 Musgrove Street, is within the Historic Preservation District and Zoning Overlay District. As such, the Historic Preservation District, and I quote: “…Exemplifies the cultural, economic, …and historic heritage of the community…it Embodies distinguishing characteristics of a type, style, period or specimen in architecture or engineering…It is part of or related to a distinctive element of community planning…AND it Represents an established and familiar visual feature of the neighborhood or community.”
Our ordinances state, quote:
1)that “Signs shall not be internally lighted or backlit…
2)that signs are unacceptable with high intensity lights or excessive external illumination…
3)that signs may not obscure or remove elements such as windows, cornices or decorative details to accommodate signs…
4)that signs must be scaled to fit the design of the building and storefront…
5)that the maximum size of the sign is limited to 20 square feet or 15 percent of the front wall area, whichever is greater…
6)that signs be placed on wall spaces such as the sign band or (frieze) of the building.
(The sign band or frieze, is defined as the horizontal segment of the storefront located above the display window AND below the second floor windows)…” End quote.
(This is taken verbatim from our Design Review Board standards.)
The application for a sign at 112 Musgrove Street, does not meet these criteria.
On March 13, 2025 staff recommended denial of the sign at 112 Musgrove, the new location of the House of Pizza. The motion was tabled and other options requested of the applicant.
On June 12, 2025 staff recommended denial of the sign at 112 Musgrove, due to the fact that no changes were made to the previous application presented in March. The application was denied by unanimous vote, due to the sign again, not conforming to city standards for the Historic Preservation District.
To put this into context: Both 120 and 112 Musgrove are described on the National Register of Historic Places as being part of the Clinton Commercial Historic District.
120 Musgrove (the old location) was built in 1910, and was described as a one-story brick building. It housed a department store in early years; more recently it was a restaurant, prior to purchase by House of Pizza. This is the location that burned under questionable circumstances.
112 Musgrove was built between 1906 and 1912, and is the new location of House of Pizza. This two-story brick building, contains second floor windows on the front façade. It sits adjacent to the City Station at 110 Musgrove, which was constructed as City Hall and Fire Station; a well-preserved building, that represents an excellent example of the historic character of downtown.
Any sign approved for the House of Pizza prior to 2025 was for 120 Musgrove, the old location. A new application naturally would be required for their new location at 112 Musgrove, just like a new permit for opening business would have been required. These are two separate applications, for two separate locations, with distinct differences; one for a one-story building, one for a two story building with second story windows. Again, our ordinance states that signs must be placed below second story windows, and not obstruct windows or building features.
While I fully appreciate all attempts to be helpful to an applicant for a certificate of appropriateness from the DRB; I must again express concern if we are being asked to ignore codes, which are intended to preserve the character of the city. No new information was presented at our June 12 meeting during discussion of exceptions to code, and the sign request was denied, by unanimous vote. The review period for application revision has passed, since a denial was voted upon on June 12, 2025.
An applicant must wait 6 months to reapply for a sign after denial; which falls in December.
(Refer to: City Code Section 6-8:g; “…if no substantial change is made, a new application may not be filed for a period of six months following the board’s denial.”)
Please be reminded that our codes stipulate that once a denial has been rendered from the DRB on an application; then the applicant’s only recourse is to file appeal with the Laurens County Circuit court. The 30 day window for that appeal has passed.
(Refer to: City Code Section 6-11; “In accordance with SC Code 1976 Paragraph 6-29-900 et seq, …One may appeal to the circuit court for Laurens County, by filing with the clerk of court with a written petition, setting forth plainly, fully and distinctly, why the decision is contrary to law. The appeal must be filed within 30 days after the affected party receives notice…”)
Notice was made June 12, 2025 as Carson Barklow, agent for House of Pizza, was present at the Board meeting and heard the denial ruling for the current application.
Why have codes and ordinances, if we are not willing to apply them, as all swore an oath to do? If codes are set aside, this board will constantly be presented with exceptions to consider. Is that fair to a business down the street that has followed code?
I recommend that House of Pizza reps sit down with our planning consultant, and come up with an amended design that meets code. This seems like an easy solution.
If the Design Review Board and city staff are to protect the historical integrity and character of what is left of our historic district, then we should follow the guidelines.
