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October 17. 2012 12:25AM
Derry officials say shuttered businesses should take signs
DERRY — On occasion, a business may leave town but leave its storefront signs behind.
As the planning board works on updating its sign regulation policies, one of the areas it has addressed is the procedure the town can take to make sure there aren’t signs left to advertise businesses that no longer exist.
“Most times, when a business shuts down, they take the signs with them,” said town code enforcement officer Robert Mackey. “But on the rare happenstance when it happens, there should be something in (the regulations).”
Town Councilor David Milz said that this is an issue that he has noticed, pointing to a sign for an architectural firm at 6 West Broadway that left the building about a year-and-a-half ago.
During an initial workshop on the sign regulations, the planning board agreed upon language that would deem a sign as abandoned if it had been abandoned for 60 days, then allowing the town to contact the sign owner to have them remove it.
According to Mackey, a legal counsel review of the proposed regulations recommended a 120-day window before business signs were officially considered abandoned.
“In my opinion, I don’t have a problem with the 60 days,” said Mackey. “If a business has been shut down for two months, that is adequate time to take down the sign.”
Milz also asked whether the 60 days would include the time required to remove the sign, or whether there would be additional time granted to remove the sign once a business was notified.
“We can play with the wording, but 120 days is standard to make sure it is removed or in compliance,” said Mackey.
Mackey was also asked whether the town would be reimbursed if it had to remove a sign itself.
He said the town might be able to put a lien on the building as it does with some abandoned properties to get the money back when a building is sold.
The revised sign regulations, which also include updated language for billboards, political signs and interactive signs, will be reviewed by legal counsel one more time before moving forward to a public hearing, according to Mackey.
Adam Swift may be reached at aswift@newstote.com.
As the planning board works on updating its sign regulation policies, one of the areas it has addressed is the procedure the town can take to make sure there aren’t signs left to advertise businesses that no longer exist.
“Most times, when a business shuts down, they take the signs with them,” said town code enforcement officer Robert Mackey. “But on the rare happenstance when it happens, there should be something in (the regulations).”
Town Councilor David Milz said that this is an issue that he has noticed, pointing to a sign for an architectural firm at 6 West Broadway that left the building about a year-and-a-half ago.
During an initial workshop on the sign regulations, the planning board agreed upon language that would deem a sign as abandoned if it had been abandoned for 60 days, then allowing the town to contact the sign owner to have them remove it.
According to Mackey, a legal counsel review of the proposed regulations recommended a 120-day window before business signs were officially considered abandoned.
“In my opinion, I don’t have a problem with the 60 days,” said Mackey. “If a business has been shut down for two months, that is adequate time to take down the sign.”
Milz also asked whether the 60 days would include the time required to remove the sign, or whether there would be additional time granted to remove the sign once a business was notified.
“We can play with the wording, but 120 days is standard to make sure it is removed or in compliance,” said Mackey.
Mackey was also asked whether the town would be reimbursed if it had to remove a sign itself.
He said the town might be able to put a lien on the building as it does with some abandoned properties to get the money back when a building is sold.
The revised sign regulations, which also include updated language for billboards, political signs and interactive signs, will be reviewed by legal counsel one more time before moving forward to a public hearing, according to Mackey.
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Adam Swift may be reached at aswift@newstote.com.
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