New LED marquee may be added to Brick Street Bar this year
City council voted to approve a settlement with the property owner
The Oxford City Council voted to approve a permit for a new LED sign at Brick Street Bar following a legal dispute with the property owner, Weisman Enterprises Holdings Inc., which had threatened litigation, during a meeting on May 5.
According to documents from the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) meeting on Nov. 25, 2025, Weisman Enterprises Holdings is hoping to replace the current marquee of Brick Street Bar with an updated LED sign.
The documents also state that the two existing signs on the bar are considered “non-conforming due to using a direct illumination method, exceeding the maximum allowable number of signs for the business, and exceeding the usual sign height limit of 3 feet.”
Weisman Enterprises Holdings said the new sign was needed “because the existing dimensional lettering is becoming obsolete, (and) replacement parts are difficult to obtain,” according to a city staff report.
In November 2025, Weisman Enterprises Holdings submitted a certificate of appropriateness application, which is a required form for construction or additions to properties within historic districts.
The Oxford Historical and Architectural Preservation Committee (HAPC) approved the application.
Wesiman Enterprises Holdings also submitted a sign permit application, but city staff did not approve it.
Weisman Enterprises Holdings and its lawyer later filed an administrative appeal with the Oxford BZA, which was denied on March 24, 2026.
Following the denial, Weisman Enterprises Holdings argued the decision violated its First Amendment right to commercial speech and that the city’s sign code was unconstitutional. Weisman Enterprises Holdings also argued that portions of the code are “void for vagueness” and were misapplied and misinterpreted by city staff.
Additionally, Weisman Enterprises Holdings contended that no variance was required, arguing the work qualified as “sign maintenance.”
Weisman Enterprises Holdings then threatened litigation against the city, and the company and the City of Oxford entered into settlement discussions to resolve the dispute.
During the May 5 meeting, the city council voted on a resolution to authorize the city manager to sign a settlement agreement that would allow Weisman Enterprises Holdings to receive a permit to implement an LED sign at Brick Street Bar.
The resolution passed, with councilors Bill Snavely and Jim Vinch voting against it.
If the settlement between Weisman Enterprises Holdings and the city manager is agreed on and signed, the next step would be for Weisman Enterprises Holdings to file for a building permit.
Sam Perry, community development director for the City of Oxford, said the LED sign could be installed this summer as long as any further roadblocks are avoided.
The Oxford City Council will meet again at 7:30 p.m. on May 19 at the Oxford Courthouse on 118 W. High St.
