Great Barrington proposes sign by-law changes

GREAT BARRINGTON – The board of selectmen has sent changes to the town’s sign by-laws to Town Meeting for approval.

The proposed changes were approved after a discussion in a public hearing at the selectmen’s Nov. 13 meeting.

The change involves Great Barrington’s temporary sign by-law. The current law allows for six temporary signs that must be put up 24 hours before the event and taken down the day after. Event organizers and merchants have complained the current law is too restrictive and the sign application process is too confusing.

“If you’re going to advertise for an event, a one-day notice is problematic from their perspective,” said Great Barrington Building Inspector Edwin A. May in comments to the select board.

Mr. May said he and his office had avoided enforcing the by-law and taking down signs from a customer service perspective, but felt the law needed to be reformed.

“It is too cumbersome, it’s too burdensome, and it really doesn’t give the flexibility on these temporary signs,” said Mr. May.

Mr. May said if the select board didn’t want temporary signs, however, then they should make that clear, and the law would be more strictly enforced.

“If I know this board of selectmen at all, I would guess there would be a desire to make it even less restrictive,” said Great Barrington Select Board Chairman Sean Stanton.

No private citizens testified at the public hearing, which consisted of conversations between Mr. May and the selectmen and discussions amongst the select board.

The board decided to expand the number of temporary signs allowed under town by-law to advertise an event to 14. They also decided to expand the amount of time temporary signs could be in place to 14 days prior to an event, with the signs still required to be removed the day after.

Those wishing to put up temporary signs will still need to apply for permission from the town to do so. These changes must be approved at Great Barrington’s next Town Meeting before they can become law.

The select board also decided they would examine the prospect of reforming the sign by-law as it relates to signs and banners on light posts at their next meeting.

Posted by Bera B. Dunau on November 20, 2012. Filed under Community News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry