Posted on 09/09/2003 10:01:14 AM PDT by chance33_98
Business owners told they can't display 'open' sign in window
By Cynthia Cisneros ABC13 Eyewitness News
(9/08/03 - GALVESTON) — There's a crackdown underway along the Strand, Galveston's historic shopping district. But some business owners think the city is going too far.
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Imagine walking along the Strand and not having any signs on the windows, so you wouldn't know who's open or who's having a sale. Local Strand merchants say the law is ridiculous and doing business without signs is not good business.
Pat Healy knows most of his customers at Morgan's on the Strand by name. But what the City of Galveston is asking him to do may limit the amount of customers walking into his shop.
"Telling me I need to have a permit to have my 'open' sign just flipped me right over the edge," said Healy. "It's ludicrous! How do you let people know you're open?"
The City of Galveston department of planning and community enforcement officials say they're just doing their job, enforcing laws already on the books.
"If it's permanently attached within the window, it does require a temporary sign permit or a permanent sign permit at this time," explained Wendy O'Donohoe, Director of Planning and Development.
But even the city agrees requiring permits for permanent and temporary signage may call for a second look.
O'Donohoe told Eyewitness News, "The city is welcoming input on that. We are taking that input and hoping to make amendments to address those concerns."
But local Strand merchants aren't taking any chances waiting for amendments. Many like Joe Flores, owner of JuJu's and Yaga's, are joining a coalition to advocate for changes in the code.
Flores said, "I mean, it's just normal everyday business in most of the world to have 'open' and 'closed' signs."
While the city and merchants haggle over the signs, Healy is frazzled over his $152 code violation ticket for his 'open' sign. He says he's not gonna pay.
"Start standing up to the city and saying, our taxes are outrageous we're taxes multiple times by anyone who can get a nickel from us," said Healy.
The code was developed to prevent large signs from obscuring the historic buildings, something most merchants agree with.
Whoops, wait a minute......
You can have all the signs you want.......but we'll tax you out of business!!
People who talk like this should be IMMEDIATELY removed from positions of power. Everywhere.
It's all and always about money, folks.
FMCDH
Absolutely!
The more egregious offenders should also be given a nice new tar and feathers suit complete with hempen necktie and five minutes to get out of town while the good townsfolk locate a suitable lamppost.
Paging John Stossel!
Ping
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