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Tempe government nannies crack down on sidewalk signs.
Don't the goverment nannies have any real criminals to
hunt down?
Tougher sign enforcement riles shop owners
William Hermann Tempe merchant Clay Poulson says not being allowed to have a sign on the sidewalk near his business is costing him thousands of dollars every month. But the city says signs on the sidewalk violate city code, and merchants persisting in putting them there could face a hefty fine, even jail time. Poulson's store, Yucatecan Imports, is in a courtyard off the street and off the beaten path. "You could walk by on the sidewalk on Mill a thousand times and never know my shop is here," Poulson said. "After I got the warning notice from the city and pulled the sign off the sidewalk and into the courtyard, over a four-day period, including the weekend, my business went down 27 percent. That's very, very bad." Tempe development services manager Christopher Anaradian says he empathizes with Poulson. Anaradian acknowledges that merchants are upset that the city has decided to enforce a sign code that has existed for years, but not enforced. "For the last eight years commercial property signs weren't checked on because there was no enforcement team," Anaradian said. "But as part of the City Council's strategic plan, which includes significantly cleaning up the city, we got our marching orders. That includes enforcing the code." So now there are three full-time city zoning code enforcement officers, and as one or another of them walks down Mill Avenue and sees a free-standing sign in the footpath, a verbal warning is delivered. But if the merchant continues to put the sign on the sidewalk, a letter is sent advising him or her to move the sign or face the consequences, which include fines of $100 to $2,500 and even probation or even imprisonment for from six months to three years. Officials say about 20 merchants have been verbally warned to move signs off the sidewalk. Four merchants who have continued to have their signs on the sidewalk have received warning letters. None has been cited. Mill Avenue Jewelers owner Cody Cooper, who has a couple of signs in an inside corner of his store that once sat on the sidewalk and who also got a warning letter, says he considers the whole controversy outrageous. "I've had my signs out for 10 years and there has been no problem with them," Cooper said. "The city has created an environment where they are turning in-laws into outlaws." Anaradian said for his part he doesn't want to make life impossible for struggling merchants. "We are willing to work with merchants, but we also have been directed to enforce the code," Anaradian said. "I have code inspectors go through sensitivity training, and we talk about ethics. I ask them to go educate people and see if we can get compliance." While Anaradian's staff is enforcing the code, they are also lending an ear to proposals to soften it. Pam Goronkin, president of the Downtown Tempe Community, a merchant, business and property owner advocacy group for people and companies with stakes in the downtown area, has had her staff members talking with Anaradian's staff about ways to make the code more palatable to downtown merchants. "We approached the city about revising the ordinance so that under certain restrictions, it would enable portable signs in the central district in pedestrian areas," Goronkin said. "It's my understanding that they (city officials) are open to considering some options." A change in the code can't come soon enough for Poulson. "I love Mill Avenue, love having a store on it," Poulson said. "Do I have to lose 25 percent of my business because of some code? That's not right."
Crackdown on sidewalk signs At least 20 merchants on Mill Avenue have been warned by city inspectors to get their signs off the sidewalks. City officials say getting signs out of the way of pedestrians on the most important street in town is part of a general cleanup by a new three-person team of code enforcers. Clay Poulson, who owns Yucatecan Imports just off Mill in the 400 block, received a warning letter last week from the city, telling him to keep his portable sign off the sidewalk. Poulson says not being allowed to have a sign on the sidewalk near his business is costing him heavily. But the city says signs on the sidewalk violate city code and merchants who persist in putting them there could face a hefty fine, even jail time. Christopher Anaradian, Tempe development services manager, said he empathizes with Poulson. "For the last eight years, commercial property signs weren't checked on because there was no enforcement team," Anaradian said. "But as part of the City Council's strategic plan, which includes significantly cleaning up the city, we got our marching orders. That includes enforcing the code." Signs are a hot issues for Valley cities. The Mesa City Council today is considering allowing A-frame signs citywide for a trial period. The Scottsdale City Council voted last week to ban temporary signs, including political ones, in any public right of way because of complaints about clutter. |