Deadline Approaching for Southeast Businesses to Register Signs
With a Sep. 30 deadline looming, Supervisor Tony Hay blasted Town of Southeast businesses for not registering their current signs that would be grandfathered in as part of the new signage law implemented.
With nine months to file the necessary paperwork, Hay estimated that less than 10 percent of those businesses have made an effort register signs they want to remain on their storefront even with the new zoning code. He expressed disappointment and dismay during a Sep. 12 board meeting.
Hay said businesses were responsible to sign up for the exemption, regardless of whether or not they had previously registered and he also noted that it gave some businesses the chance to account for their sign if they didn’t do so in the first place.
“We’ve done our part, now please do your part and get your sign registered,” Hay said during the meeting.
Before Sep. 30, the application to keep an old businesses sign only cost $3, which goes toward the tag a business owner would put on his or her grandfathered sign. Hay dismissed the notion the town was forcing businesses to sign up just for the money.
“One of the things I kept hearing is, ‘you guys are just doing it for the money,’” Hay said in an interview. “I don’t do anything for the money; I try to do things for fairness.”
If a business comes in after the deadline, Hay said the fees would go up and also said that town officials will slowly start enforcing the new law if businesses continue to ignore it.
The new code was passed in January 2013, with many businesses griping that the law would be too restrictive. Many business owners argued to allow grandfathering of signs, which the board agreed to.
Hay said two letters have been mailed to each business to remind them to abide by the new law.
Hay said he was surprised by the low turnout with only a week to go before the deadline passes. As someone who was in retail for more than 30 years, Hay said, “a sign is your business and I know what a sign can do for your business.”
