Open House Signs will NOT be allowed on Rights-of-way in Palm Coast
City Council voted to return to strict enforcement of a city ordinance that prohibits signs in a public right of way. Only Councilman Peterson dissented.
Palm Coast, FL – June 17, 2008 – Against the wishes of the real estate community, including those trying to sell their own homes, Palm Coast City Council today voted to return to a rigid enforcement of the city code that prohibits signs in any city right-of-way. Signs will be picked up and destroyed.
When City Manager Landon began enforcing the ordinance by ordering city employees to pick up and discard any signs found in a city right of way, Realtors® objected. As a compromise, the city suspended enforcement on weekends; essentially looking the other way to see if that would work. Unfortunately, too many other folks noticed the lack of enforcement and garage sales, business signs, etc. started to show up in large quantities. A token attempt was made by the council when they floated a "for fee" plan which would have circumvented the ordinance by classifying a once-a-month open house weekend as a "special event." But the cost ($250 to over $300 per open house) was excessive and the idea was dropped in a council workshop.
Citing the critical need to encourage sales of the excessive "home for sale" inventory, Councilman Peterson urged the council to extend the weekend pass for three more months. None of his council peers agreed. The vote was 4:1 against.
The Flagler Association of Realtors® is in the process of redesigning its website. Association President Jimmy Millhollin tells me that the new design will include an Open House feature, linking existing listing information with open house dates and a mapping capability. This will help and hopefully will happen soon. But what about the FSBO folks who want to have an open house?
Irony on Signage
The ugliest signs on Palm Coast roadways are the political signs. Those should be brought down first and then debate can begin around the signs people use to make a living in Palm Coast. That is certainly the way to keep the housing market down here. It is clear the politicians in this area are looking out for themselves first instead of the fine citizens of Palm Coast.
What About the OTHER Signs?
Just curious, Toby… If the Council is going to enforce a sign ordinance, supposedly to keep Palm Coast a neat and tidy community, why do they allow so many political signs that cover the landscape at election time?
The Elected Officials are worried about signs?
This must be a joke! I can\\’t believe the \\’city officials\\’ waste time on this issue. Do city taxes pay someone to pick up signs that say, Garage sale, open house, Yard sale? Wow, they seriously need to work on real issues. If city officials can\\’t come to resolution on this issue that accommodates the PC population then maybe they should not be called Public Servants. Isn\\’t their job to work FOR the people, on behalf of the people?
signs
Litter in the right-of-way is a greater aesthetic blight than a handful of open house or garage sale signs posted over the weekend. I\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’d love to see the city go after our litter problem with the same sense of purpose.
I thought the council could have adopted some guidelines and permitted open house and garage sale signs as directional, non-advertising signage in the rights-of-way. This could be justified based on the fact open houses and garage sales are held in non-commercial locations and are often difficult to find because of our non-grid street pattern.
They could have used a civil citation system to fine those who did not remove the signs in a timely manner or who did not follow other guidelines. This would have been a more reasonable approach.
Open House Signs
Yes Fellow Realtors, the politicians signs are littering the ROW of all the major roads in Palm Coast. Good way to remember which one of them voted against us. It would be a shame if they disappear from the roadways?