Boxborough Design Review Board Requires Wood Sign, Bars Phone Number at Stow Road Property

Design Review Board · Meeting of June 11, 2026

Boxborough's Design Review Board unanimously recommended a wood sign and phone-number removal for a business at 25A Stow Road. The board voted 3-0 at its June 11 remote meeting to approve an amended advisory recommendation to the Zoning Board of Appeals regarding an application by Barbara Shapokas Taglier to install new signage at the historic 1932 commercial property, which houses an insurance company and an art studio. Chair Rebecca Verner and members Richard Hilton and Kimberly Musto agreed that the applicant's proposed PVC material ran afoul of design guidelines prohibiting plastic signs, with Hilton saying, "I don't want it to look like it could have been plastic." The board also directed removal of a phone number from the sign design, citing guidelines limiting signs to the business name only, and requested clarification on lettering method and dimensions for a proposed flag arm.

In a separate discussion, the board moved toward a visual preference survey approach for planned design guidelines revisions tied to a new town center, with a preliminary board working session targeted for July.

In the full story:

• Background and stakes
• The question before the body
• Substantive content
• The deliberation
• Procedural steps and outcome
• Implications and what is next
• The complete report — 2,036 words

Source: the Design Review Board meeting of June 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.