WARNING NEUTRALITY WARNING CITIZENS the neutrality of this article is DISPUTED citizens run for cover — seek shelter — do not hesitate — go URGENTLY — the matter is in DISPUTE. |
Too G-dmn many signboards! Urgent administrative and legislative attention needed!
Discussed at the Monday, Oct. 5 2009 Ann Arbor City Council meeting.
Sandwich boards? Those are illegal. Off premises sandwich boards? Those are advertising something on the other side of town! We’re going to be up to our ears in sandwich boards if we don’t put a lid on this. If you have to organize how you’re going to attack the problems in administering signage, you should start with enforcement. ––Sign Board of Appeals minutes, 12/9/08
The counterpoint: Sandwich boards: An Open Letter to Ann Arbor City Council from Al McWilliams, Quack Media
Really? This is happening? Is this really that big of an issue? The correct answer is, "No Al, It's not, we should move on to more important things like finding money to hire back building inspectors." No one cares about the sandwich boards except the few crazy cat-ladies who complained. They're fine. There are rules to make sure no one gets out of hand and places fifteen of them in the middle of the walk, or writes, "free boners." This is a non-problem; it's a non-problem with a task force. Charles Bronson has task forces; sandwich boards don't.
The affected party: 4/6/10: city of ann arbor’s new sign ordinance, Vicki Honeyman, Heavenly Metal
Notice to small business owners in downtown Ann Arbor: the city has a new sign ordinance, Chapter 61, that regulates signs and sandwich boards, because the bureaucrats who run our fair city have nothing better to do with their time than to make life even more of a struggle for already struggling small businesses. I have just been issued a Notice of Code Violation that prohibits me from putting out my sandwich board on the corner of Ann/4th Ave and the metal sign I place in the garden outside my store. The city administrators were eager to give Google several hundred free parking spaces to encourage that corporation to open an office here in Ann Arbor, yet just as eager to let small businesses know they don’t give a damn about us. If this pisses you off, please write your council reps to let them know they should be supporting us, not making it harder to stay in business! www.a2gov.org
In the news
Jeff Pickell, who owns Kaleidoscope Books and Collectibles on the northeast corner of North Fourth and Ann, just down the street from Honeyman’s Heavenly Metal, also received a warning about his sign usage. Pickell expressed confusion at the city’s action, saying that his sign had been on private – not city – property, and didn’t pose a threat to pedestrians.
Sandwich Sign Board Task Force members
- Alex Milshteyn 10/19/2009 12/31/2009
- Chris Cheng 10/19/2009 12/31/2009
- Joan Lowenstein 10/19/2009 12/31/2009
- Linda Briggs 10/19/2009 12/31/2009
- Maggie Ladd 10/19/2009 12/31/2009
- Maura Thomson 10/19/2009 12/31/2009
- Mike Rankin 10/19/2009 12/31/2009
- Sabra Briere 10/19/2009 12/31/2009
- Vickie Honeyman 10/19/2009 12/31/2009
