Decision on Electric Town Common Sign Could Come March 5

Foxborough officials are nearing a decision on the installation of electric signs at the town’s Common after attending two demonstrations earlier this week.

The Foxboro Lions Club - in coordination with LED sign company, Watchfire - conducted an afternoon and evening demonstration of the proposed electric sign at the south end of the Town Common Tuesday.

Following the demonstration, Foxborough Board of Selectmen chair James DeVellis declined comment on the project, saying he would rather wait until the board discusses the proposal publicly at the March 5 meeting.

“I have put the topic first on our March 5th agenda,” DeVellis said. “Not appropriate for me to comment before … [because I] want everyone to hear all sides and speak freely without the influence of how a board member is going to vote.”

DeVellis said a decision on the electric signs is expected to be made after the board discusses the project and reviews the recommendations of the Foxborough Historical Commission, Foxborough Town Historian Jack Authelet and public safety officials.

“Jack Authelet will speak to us at the meeting from his perspective,” DeVellis said. “I wouldn’t imagine making any decision about our Common without starting and ending with Jack.”

The town’s Historical Commission has scheduled a 1 p.m. meeting Saturday at Memorial Hall to continue its discussion of the electric sign proposal and draft a letter informing selectmen of its position, which will be reviewed at the March 5 meeting before selectmen decide the fate of the project.

“When we do vote, we will have the complete perspective of public cost or savings, zoning, public safety, public benefit, history, public opinion and aesthetics from seeing a mockup during day and night,” DeVellis said. “Perhaps it seems overzealous, but nobody is going to feel this item was taken lightly and I think it gives the respect to the Lions Club and our Common that they both deserve.”

Bob Russell of the Foxboro Lions Club and DPW Director Roger Hill proposed the installation of electric signs at the town's Common during the Jan. 8 BOS meeting.

During that meeting, Russell and Hill outlined the pros of installing electric signs at the Common:

• Signs can be operated from a remote location, i.e. Town Hall.

• More messages can be displayed.

• Brightness of signs can be adjusted.

• LEDs are inexpensive and easier to replace than the current letters the town uses to post messages on the Common.

• “The total cost of the signs will range from $20,000 to $23,000,” Russell said. “There’s a couple of different variations in it.”

Russell said the Foxboro Lions Club will be able to support between $5,000 and $6,000 for changing the metal on the signs. The town will likely fund the remaining $16,000 to $18,000, though no funding plan was presented at the Jan. 8 meeting because the proposal is still considered to be in the "conceptual stages," according to Hill.

Despite the pros Russell outlined, selectmen expressed numerous concerns, ranging from public safety issues to preserving the sacred history of the Common.

To read more from the Jan. 8 meeting, click here.

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