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No Off-site Sandwich Signs In Safety Harbor
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Published: December 22, 2007
SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. - SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. - It was not quite the holiday gift downtown merchants doing business off Main Street wanted.
Monday night City Commissioners endorsed a concept that provides up to three 18-by-12-inch sign boards each on 18 fluted poles that will be placed at strategically located corners along Main Street.
This is the alternative the city has chosen to what the business owners wanted, two-side "sandwich" signs on Main Street directing potential customers to their stores off the city's many commercial corridor.
Under the concept approved Monday, an arrow at the top of each of the poles will direct motorists' attention to the off-Main businesses.
Several months ago city commissioners decided to do away with the sandwich board signs merchants had been placing on Main Street. The signs were unsightly and could trip up pedestrians, exposing the city to lawsuits, officials said.
After January, sandwich board signs can only be used directly in front of or on the side of a business but not at an off-site location. This would bar businesses on side streets from placing signs on Main Street.
Businesses on Main Street, however, would be allowed to place sandwich signs in front of their shops.
Although they wouldn't agree to allow the placing of sandwich signs on Main Street by side-street merchants, commissioners did agree the merchants were right that the existing pole-mounted signs on Main Street are too small.
A consultant had given the city two pole sign proposals, the one the commission chose Monday and the other with signs a bit larger than 18 by 12 inches.
The sign poles will be at various Main Street intersections, including Third, Fifth, Seventh, Ninth and 10th avenues.
Betsy Byrd, speaking on behalf of downtown merchants, said a majority of the 15 side-street merchants would accept the pole mounted signs. Some, however, still wanted to be able to place sandwich signs on Main Street.
Mayor Andy Steingold said commissioners want the sign poles tastefully done. He said they are trying to strike a happy medium between residents who do not like to see more signs and business people who need them to survive.
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