Signs, signs ... but they're no longer everywhere

This lot at the corner of Colloredo Boulevard and North Main Street is noticeably cleaner since city codes enforcers took down a number of signs placed without the property owner's permission. Officials have been stepping up their enforcement of Shelbyville's sign ordinance over the past three weeks.
(T-G Photo by Kent Flanagan)

[Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The most noticeable location that has been purged is a corner lot at the intersection of North Main Street and Colloredo Boulevard, which was once covered with small signs from a variety of businesses.

Codes official Scotty Farrar said none of the signs he removed from the lot had been approved by the property owner.

Rules

Farrar explained that any commercial property is allowed to have signage displayed, even if they are advertising another business, but written permission from the owner of the property is required. No real estate signs have been pulled, however.

Signs placed in the public right of way are not allowed to be over four feet high, and may be no larger than four feet by four feet. If the sign is directly in front of the property for sale, it can be larger.

The signs have to be five feet from the road or the sidewalk, at least four feet high and placed in the right of way so that motorists have enough visibility at the street corners. None of the signs on the lot met that criteria, Farrar said.

Clean up time

That highly visible corner isn't the only place Farrar has been going. Over the past three weeks he has collected about 150 signs, focusing on lots where either the property owner has not given permission or where signs are blocking the view of oncoming traffic -- and those "are pulled immediately."

Signs that are posted in violation of the ordinance will have notification stickers placed, with Farrar allowing three to five days before removal if he is not contacted.

Farrar said he's spoken to about 30 different business owners about the issue, explaining which would be allowed and what was forbidden.

Temporary sign permits cost $10 and the city has the option of fining those in violation of the ordinance up to $50, but Farrar said they have not done that yet.

If a person or business wants their sign back, they can just pick it up from the codes department, but Farrar added they only hold signs for a month, then dispose of them.

Realty signs

Real estate has its own section within the city code, with some rules that do not necessarily apply to regular commercial signage. They are allowed in both commercial and residential districts, but permission is also needed from the property owners.

If permission is not granted, then the property owner can pull the offending sign or ask the city codes department to do so, which is recommended in order to avoid any altercations.

In the past, officials have said when complaints were reported to their office, they were typically from one real estate agent informing on another anonymously.

"We want the town to look decent," Farrar said about the cleanup.