Hamlet Master Plan committee will meet to find solutions
Discussion of allowing business owner in the hamlet of Jamesville to place temporary A-framed (sandwich board) signs outside of their business has been a popular topic and, recently, the DeWitt Planning Board weighed in saying they could not recommend the town board make this legislative change.
At the Sept. 22 meeting of the planning board, members drafted a statement saying that due to existing town code and the comprehensive plan that was adopted in 2008, the planning board could not make a recommendation that the town board adopt this local law allowing businesses in the hamlet of Jamesville to place sandwich board signs as a means to advertise their business.
“‘Daily specials,’ ‘special deals,’ ‘product advertisement’ and ‘changeable messages’ in general, have long been found to be undesirable sign clutter in the town; and the hamlet is no exception,” the recommendation stated. “Road signage is not the answer, rather it adds to the problems of vehicular and pedestrian safety, community unsightliness and clutter.”
The planning board does recommend that business owners look into alternate signage that is already allowed in the hamlet, such as perpendicular signs, window signs and special sign products. Currently, there is a Hamlet Master Plan committee that is working to create a document specified for Jamesville that will help guide future planning for the area, so the planning board recommended that sandwich boards are a topic that that group may want to discuss.
Public hearings on the matter were held at the Aug. 22, Sept. 12 and Sept. 26 meetings of the town board.
Infinite Light Yoga Studio owner Tony Riposo said he believed it was unfair that sandwich board signs could be used for non-profit or civic information, but that businesses were not allowed these.
“I don’t think it’s a fair argument to say these will clutter the hamlet when we’re already allowing other groups to have them,” said Riposo at the Sept. 26 meeting. “Just because it’s in the code doesn’t mean it can’t be looked at again and changed.”
“A comprehensive plan is called that because that’s exactly what it is — it’s for the whole town,” said Mike Lazar, a former planning board member who helped put together the 2008 Comprehensive Plan. “It is based on what the people in the town wanted and on the expertise and countless hours spent by volunteers in this town … It would be an insult and disservice to these people to not rely on their expertise.”
Sam Gordon, director of planning for the town, said businesses are welcome to work with his office and the planning board to determine what types of signage might be an answer for their advertising problems.
Some stipulations of the most recently drafted local law include: usage of temporary sandwich board signs only apply to only non-residential and home-based businesses within the boundaries of the hamlet of Jamesville; any sign may not exceed two linear feet in width and a maximum height of 42 inches; signs must be constructed out of materials that present a finished appearance (stained/painted wood, anodized aluminum, metal) and plastic signs are prohibited; only one sign per business is allowed and must be placed on a sidewalk directly in front of the associated establishment; signs should only be displayed during regular business hours and must be weighted down in the event of strong winds; sign placement must adhere to certain constraints such as allowing six feet of pedestrian walkway; any business wishing to display a sign must first obtain a permit from the town of DeWitt; and, as a recommendation by the Syracuse-Onondaga County Planning Agency, no sign should be placed within the 12-feet of the road to comply with the New York State Department of Transportation right-of-way.
Councilors Jamie Frank and Kerin Rigney stated they were in support of allowing businesses in Jamesville to have sandwich board signs, but the town board decided it was best to allow the Hamlet Master Plan committee to meet to determine what their stance on the issue was.
“The last thing I want to do is pass an incomplete law and open Pandora’s box,” said Supervisor Ed Michalenko. The Jamesville Hamlet Master Plan Committee has agreed to meet in order to discuss their stance on sandwich board signs and alternative advertising opportunities for these businesses for the time being.
For more information on the proposed sandwich board sign legislation, go to townofdewitt.com.
