One of my biggest pet peeves is garage sale signs.
The City of Woodstock liberalized the garage sale ordinance and now allows off-premises signs, effective January 1, 2009, and subject to very specific terms. This ordinance is explained on the City's website; click on the tab in the upper-left corner.
What happens when a resident obtains his garage sale permit and then thumbs his nose at the City, knowing that his sale will be held on a week-end when municipal employees are not working?
This sign, located about three-four blocks from the sale (legally, in terms of distance if it is one of only two off-premises signs advertising this sale), does not meet the garage sale ordinance in several ways.
1. Sign is 2' x 3' (6 sq. ft.); signs are not to be larger than 2.5 sq. ft.
2. Sign is mounted on street-sign post (specifically prohibited in ordinance)
3. Height is more than 3' above grade
4. Sign is not self-supporting
3. Height is more than 3' above grade
4. Sign is not self-supporting
Is there any enforcement on week-ends, when municipal employees are not scheduled on duty? Are police officers authorized to remove non-compliant signs?
Without the City's close observation and enforcement, it is very easy for a town to get junked up with signs very, very quickly.
Should Woodstock establish the Sign Police and organize and train volunteers or set up a part-time, contract position to enforce the Code? Maybe, pay a bounty for each violation identified?
1 comment:
nah, let's worry about more important things. As long as the sign comes down when the sale is over, I think we have more pressing issues to contend with.
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