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Brattleboro Sandwich Signs - Photos
Authored by: javanyet on Thursday, February 04 2010 @ 04:47 PM GMT+5
It looks like Alici's sign is pointing across Main St at the Post Office. You'd think that after all whey went through to get that sign they'd point it in the right direction...
Authored by: MusaAlici on Saturday, February 06 2010 @ 02:18 PM GMT+5
Actually it has been happening lately. My sign was turned opposite direction and after the Selectmen board meeting (which I did not get any notice) has been moved to my restaurant by some unknown people. I wish that they do not that. Thanks for the comments.
Authored by: Joann on Thursday, February 04 2010 @ 08:53 PM GMT+5
With all the other signs around town, is it only because this sign isn't on Alici's property? I'd never noticed how the arrow pointed! Wonder how many people in a wheelchair have tried to get by that sign?
Authored by: javanyet on Thursday, February 04 2010 @ 09:09 PM GMT+5
Actually it doesn't encroach much on the sidewalk, which is pretty wide. And yeah, they were originally told they couldn't place the sign so far off of their property, unlike the others that are always just outside the door. But the owner screamed "discrimination" so he got his sign. No big deal, really, except it's pointed toward the post office! On the day the photo was taken, anyway.
Authored by: MusaAlici on Saturday, February 06 2010 @ 11:46 PM GMT+5
Actually I read the State Billboard Law. It does applies state highways. Main Street considered as town maintained road therefor, town bylaws applies. According town bylaws any signage specially sandwich-boards considered as off-premise signs. But it does not states any distance. Another word any sandwich-board including mine are all off-premise signs and all needs permits from selectmen board. I was the only person applied for the permit. I was the only person singled out. I even did not get any notice from town regarding selectmen board meeting. Is it fair? Thank you for your comment. I appreciate for your support.
Authored by: MusaAlici on Saturday, February 06 2010 @ 09:34 PM GMT+5
I have been on Harris Place since 2006 winter and saw just once wheelchair (motorized one with pirate flag) used the side walk on Harris Place. I do go to work afternoon unless people with wheelchair uses Harris Place early morning?. Furthermore my sign placed with consideration of other people so sidewalk is not blocked. I can not say same for others. I always DO consider others (at-least try to.) ..:) We are living in a small town and we all know one another, And I will keep fighting for equality, fairness and justice. I need help of everybody who believes fairness.
Anyway peace my fiends.
Authored by: javanyet on Thursday, February 04 2010 @ 09:15 PM GMT+5
Oops, I just read the selectboard report posted here... looks like Alici's sign won't be there for long! Because it's so far from his property, that is.
Authored by: paulgardner on Thursday, February 04 2010 @ 11:32 PM GMT+5
I think I've seen everyone of those.
I for one would vote (as if I could) for keeping them all. They provide useful information to the shopper/passerby.
Authored by: SpudHill on Friday, February 05 2010 @ 05:50 AM GMT+5
I think these photos are great! They actually show just how many of these signs are about and even thought Alicis is the farthest perhaps from the establishment you still get a view of how much more room is around his. It's actually the least obtrusive on the sidewalk except for the fish fry signs as there's very little pedestrian traffic in that area. I just have to question, as I've stated, whether Allen has some sort of personal problem with the owner of Alicis since there are so many and his blocks the sidewalk less than any of the others. I like them also and say either allow 'em all or remove 'em all...since if the argument is that they block the sidewalk, otherwise this is really an unfair ruling.
Authored by: MusaAlici on Monday, February 08 2010 @ 04:36 PM GMT+5
I do appreciate for fair and honest statements. I thank you all. I hope all
the people of Brattleboro who is pro-small business can show-up on
Select-board meeting on Feb. 16th. I will be there to keep fighting for all
sandwich-boards. For all small business, for equality and fairness. I need
your help.
Authored by: kitty on Friday, February 05 2010 @ 09:31 AM GMT+5
Nice collection of photos, thanks! I didn't see the Amy's sign pictured. It says (I think) "Breakfast * Ice Cream * Bakery" and always sends me into copyediting reveries.
Only one of these signs is on my "bad sign" list, and it's not Alici's. It's one that I find truly does clog up the sidewalk because the store it's in front of happens to have a crowd of other fixed obstacles in front, too. (I think one of them is a green post box for storing mail, plus there might be a trashcan and a light pole too--a big clutter whatever it is.) When the sandwich board is up as well, the sidewalk becomes a narrow trickle at that point. When I am trying to walk downtown with a small, slow child, we always have to do a little do-see-do with other pedestrians at that point. The sidewalk is PASSABLE, but folks have to wait behind the sign or the clutter if someone else is already in the "lane." It's like the creamery bridge that way, but not as quaint.
Authored by: Jeezum Crow on Friday, February 05 2010 @ 07:30 PM GMT+5
Look at these while you can because if Main street is "improved" according to the plan as I understand it there won't be room for these sign anymore. I believe the plan is to make the sidewalks narrower so that there is more room for motor vehicles. I think that idea stinks.
Authored by: Natashacbk on Friday, February 05 2010 @ 08:22 PM GMT+5
If I am not mistaken - Other than Alici's, there is not one business in
downtown Brattleboro that has been asked to remove their sandwich
board and/or apply for a permit. I find it highly suspect that Musa Alici
is the only business owner that is being asked to remove his sandwich
board. From what I understand, there is a big fat grey zone in the
town bylaws regarding signage. in other words, if Mr. Alici is asked to
remove his sign, I would like to think (in regard to the law) that any
downtown business that does not have a permit, should be required to
remove their sandwich boards as well.
Technically, the 50 or so sandwich boards that clutter the Brattleboro
sidewalks are all on town property without a permit.
Why has Musa Alici been singled out by being required to have a
permit? BTW, one of the requirements is to get the property owner's
permission and in this case - that would be The Town of
Brattleboro...Hmmmm I wonder why Mr. Alici was not notified by the
Selectboard, about the recent hearing regarding his billboard?
In fact, someone just emailed him about doing an interview regarding
the decision - he had no idea.
I'll tell you this, the Selectboard should to be very careful - words like
"discrimination" and "preferential treatment" keep coming up, it
seems.
Authored by: Truman on Monday, February 08 2010 @ 02:20 PM GMT+5
Seeing them all together really makes a statement doesn't it?
I think, in all fairness, the only thing to do is ask all business owners to pull in their sandwich board signs until an ordinance is written. That ordinance should clearly state how far from the business's front door the sign can be placed...maximum sign dimensions, and how much sidewalk must remain clear (perhaps a number of inches, like the width of a wheelchair plus 4?). Or just ban sidewalk signs altogether and be done with it.
I do have a problem with Alici's signboard. If after the ordinance goes into effect, he wants to put one outside his door, that's great. It was his decision to purchase that property and it shouldn't be the Town's responsibility to provide free advertising so far from his door. With the other sign owners, if there were a problem, the sign could be immediately taken in. With the other signs, they're not placed in front of someone else's business space, possibly detracting from that business's traffic.
Authored by: pjmelton on Monday, February 08 2010 @ 04:30 PM GMT+5
"It was his decision to purchase that property and it shouldn't be the Town's responsibility to provide free advertising so far from his door."
Sure, you could make that argument - but that's not the argument the selectboard made. Instead, they made a laughable argument about the sign blocking what is perhaps the least used patch of sidewalk in all of downtown. Give me a break!
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"Economic laws are not made by nature. They are made by human beings." -- FDR
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Bette Davis