Excerpt from Ocean City Maryland News:

BERLIN – A new sign will soon accent Buckingham Presbyterian Church following approval this week from the town’s historic district commission.

On Wednesday, the Berlin Historic District Commission approved the church’s plan to install a new sign in front of the Main Street structure.

“I love the sign,” said commission member Laura Stearns. “I think it’s a great improvement.”

Lynne Murray, a church trustee, said Buckingham Presbyterian’s leaders wanted to install a white aluminum powder coated sign in front of the church. It would be closer to the road than the existing sign and would be visible to people coming from either direction. The sign model they’ve chosen includes space for a removable bottom panel that could be used to advertise upcoming events.

“The church has mulled over this sign business for many years,” Murray said. The sign the church has selected is modeled after a sign used at a church in Ireland. Church members said that was meaningful because Buckingham Presbyterian was founded by an Irishman, Rev. Francis Makemie, in 1683.

Commission members praised the sign’s design but asked whether church officials had considered a black sign instead of a white sign. They explained that they’d chosen white because most local church signs were white. They also opted for white because they didn’t want the sign to be backlit and thought white would be more visible.

Commission member Betty Tustin said she understood that concern. Her peers agreed.

“Black print on a white sign might be more visible,” she said.

The commission voted 3-0 to approve the sign. Carol Rose, chair of the commission, recused herself because she is a church member.

On Wednesday, the commission also approved plans for a new sign at Bruder Home and a request to install an outdoor refrigerator at the Burley Café. Chris Poeschl and Tony Lanuza, representing the café, said they’d be able to expand the establishment’s menu with the additional refrigerator. They said the walk-in refrigerator would be placed between Jeffrey Auxer Designs and the Atlantic Hotel’s storage area. The refrigerator will be covered with faux boxwood paneling.

Rose said she had no objections as long as it was as well disguised as the freezer outside Fins Ale House.

The commission voted 4-0 to approve the refrigerator.