Yard Sign Make Americans Respectfull Again
When Edmonds Basin residents Greg Toy and Jenny Anttila complained to the city about an 18-foot-tall yard sign promoting Blackness Lives Affair directly in their field of view, information technology raised some nagging questions about sign codes and the state of sign code enforcement in the urban center of Edmonds.
"I totally agree with the content of the sign," said Toy, who forth with partner Anttila stress that they both support the BLM move. "Our consequence is not with the bulletin, but rather that it is in violation of the metropolis's sign code limiting the size of yard signs in residential areas." (You lot can view the city code on temporary 1000 signs in residential areas here.
Concluding month, the couple contacted the City of Edmonds to inquire that it address this issue. In response, City Code Enforcement Officer Dan Gooding wrote a letter dated July 7 to the owner of the property displaying the sign — citing the relevant city code limiting residential neighborhood signs to no larger than 4 square feet and no more 6 feet high. He noted that the sign was in violation of the lawmaking, and directed that it be removed by July 15.
Much to the consternation of Toy and Anttila, July 15 came and went and the sign remained.
The owner of the sign and the dwelling house where it is located is John Kelley, a professional stagehand who is also known equally JohnnnyRockStar of Edmonds-based bands Zombie Jihad and The Alert: A Blackness Sabbath Feel. Kelley explained that he is a long-fourth dimension supporter of Black Lives Matter, and ran audio for BLM events through Ascent Up! Productions. George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis in late May moved him to limited his feelings with a sign. But Kelley was unemployed and didn't accept money to purchase ane, so he establish a piece of plastic and some blackness spray paint at his home, and made his own.
"I didn't put information technology up to expressly irritate the neighbors," Kelley said. "It'due south but the i piece of plastic that was laying around."
When Kelley's sign didn't come downwards by the city deadline of July xv, Antilla and Toy next contacted Gooding's boss, City of Edmonds Evolution Manager Shane Hope, in a further effort to get resolution. This resulted in a Zoom coming together with Hope attended past several other neighborhood residents also concerned most the issue.
Co-ordinate to Toy and Anttila, the meeting was cordial only did non resolve the situation, then they contacted Hope again via telephone.
Hope responded on Aug. 12 in a voice mail, which the couple shared with My Edmonds News. In it, Promise is heard to say that the "Mayor (Mike Nelson) has directed me to not enforce any sign size, dimensions in residential areas at least until the end of the year."
This prompted Toy to write an e-mail toMy Edmonds News outlining the situation and expressing displeasure with the mayor'due south determination to append sign code enforcement through the cease of the yr. The e-mail was as well sent to the mayor and city councilmembers.
In the message, Toy noted that "un-enforced signage code gives residents the freedom to display signs of any size and height with their personal message," and that "concerned residents have voiced objections, as the lack of enforcement frustrates their attempts to go along signage inside a reasonable restraint and not turn neighborhoods into a circus atmosphere reminiscent of Aurora Avenue… regardless of message or the dismay of neighbors who may consider such advertising the same equally smoke or noise pollution."
My Edmonds News contacted the City of Edmonds for clarification of what appeared to be a policy to suspend enforcement of these codes.
In an email response, spokesperson Jamie Holter antiseptic the mayor'due south position, maxim that "Mayor Mike Nelson has not, and volition not, suspend enforcement of the city's signage regulations through the end of the yr. Given all of the code enforcement going on in our metropolis right at present, enforcement of political oral communication is not our highest priority."
Asked about how the city prioritizes sign code enforcement and lawmaking enforcement in general, Holter added the following:
"It [lawmaking enforcement priority] really depends. We have so many lawmaking violation issues — especially about garbage and junk, which has led to more than complaints nigh rats and overgrown grass. Our code enforcement squad prioritizes the health safety bug outset. And responding to annihilation is and then much more difficult now because of COVID. So yep, we respond but we as well prioritize."
In a Fri email to My Edmonds News, Shane Hope further explained this, maxim: "We typically respond to complaints though if we see something egregious that has not been complained about, we may also follow upwards. In the case of a contempo sign complaint, we notified the possessor but practise non specify a timeline for correction. Equally always, nosotros look first for voluntary compliance."
Which still leaves the oversize sign directly in Toy and Anttila'south field of view. The couple has expressed their firm intent to proceed pursuing it.
"This is not an outcome of limiting political spoken communication in whatsoever way whatsoever," said Toy in an Aug. 13 email. "The resident posting the sign in question is free, as are all citizens, to postal service a political sign endorsing whatever view he wants, so long as the sign meets code requirements…this is but a case of code enforcement, requested by multiple neighbors, brought to the attending of the code enforcement division a number of weeks ago. It is apparently and simply a total disregard of the citizens who are neighbors and have voiced complaints virtually the size of the sign."
According to Toy, he and Anttila plan to give public testimony on this consequence at Tuesday'south Aug. 18 council coming together and take approached councilmembers about getting the issue on the agenda.
As for Kelley, he pointed to supporters who contacted the metropolis on his behalf, noting that in that location are other signs in Edmonds violating the sign code — in particular, the plethora of "12" signs supporting the Seattle Seahawks — that no i is complaining about.
When asked whether he would consider replacing his Black Lives Matter sign with a smaller sign that complies with the city code, Kelley was noncommittal. "I don't know what's going to happen next," he said.
By Larry Vogel and Teresa Wippel
Source: https://myedmondsnews.com/2020/08/oversized-yard-sign-irks-neighbors-who-say-city-code-should-be-enforced/
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