How long does a Grand Opening last? When a business celebrates its opening, that's a Grand opening; right? And the City recognizes that... Every city is happy to have new businesses opening.
The Woodstock City Code allows a business to announce its Grand Opening with a temporary sign. For the paltry sum of $30.00, a business can post a temporary sign for 21 days. That's a pretty good deal. Hang out your sign. Let passersby know that you are open and ready for business.
What kind of calendar do we have here in Woodstock? Sometimes time passes slowly. Sometimes a day seems like a week. Sometimes, a day repeats itself over and over. Well, pretty soon it will be 21 WEEKS that this sign has greeted motorists on Route 47 in front of Xpert Insurance, near the Shell station. This is clearly a Grand Opening sign and it's clearly a temporary sign. Notice the wooden frame and the sandbags keeping it from blowing away.
From time-to-time I'll make an inquiry at the Code Enforcement office about this sign, and there has been no reply when I have asked to be informed of the Issue Date of the Permit for this sign or when the Permit expires. Could it be that no Permit has been issued?
This sign has been there since at least mid-November, when I first contacted Code Enforcement about it. That's 4 1/2 months. If there is no Permit, then the City should have been acting since November to have the sign removed. Are there any teeth in the Sign Ordinance?
