Letter to the Editor
Published on Thu, Jan 29, 2009Read More Voices
Editor,
This has truly gotten out of control in Snohomish County. This morning I headed out for a short drive to the local grocer. This five-minute drive was the last straw. In just that time I counted 27 of these ridiculous signs. You know the ones. They advertise one of several housing areas that have recently sprouted up.
I understand the need to advertise, I am a small business owner myself. Times are hard. I am also a homeowner and have purchased several homes over my lifetime. But If I were in the market right now I would still find these signs offensive.
Many times the signs are just a few feet from one another. On this morning's drive there were 8 signs in an area no longer than 2 car lengths. This isn't advertising, this is litter!
I e-mailed the City of Marysville to ask about the current regulation for these signs. The answer was surprising: "Generally, those types of signs are not legal with the following exceptions - political signs of this type are allowed in ROW (right-of-way) during the political seasons. Open house signs are allowed during an open house. The general advertising of subdivisions and other things are not allowed within ROW. Our crews do drive-by sweeps to remove them (picking up many truckloads whenever they do a sweep), although they always come back. They have also been scheduling runs occasionally on weekends as that seems to be when they really rear their heads. The developers and real estate people have been complaining about removal however, claiming it is hitting them when they are down . . . so I think we have been easing up the 'sweeps'-although they are still illegal and so we do remove them but perhaps haven't been as aggressive about it for several months."
So there it is, the signs are illegal and to get them taken care of we have to pay city or county workers to pick them up. We know how the budgets are already stretched. I say that we pick them up and charge the folks putting them out a litter fee.
I am not after the weekend garage sale sign, the Realtor open house sign or the signs on private property. I'm after these signs at every corner, the signs posted in the yards of the Marysville Library and local schools, the signs in front of every strip shopping center in town.
Or here's another solution--pick them up, save the stake for next spring's tomatoes and recycle the boards.
Eric Emery
Marysville
This has truly gotten out of control in Snohomish County. This morning I headed out for a short drive to the local grocer. This five-minute drive was the last straw. In just that time I counted 27 of these ridiculous signs. You know the ones. They advertise one of several housing areas that have recently sprouted up.
I understand the need to advertise, I am a small business owner myself. Times are hard. I am also a homeowner and have purchased several homes over my lifetime. But If I were in the market right now I would still find these signs offensive.
Many times the signs are just a few feet from one another. On this morning's drive there were 8 signs in an area no longer than 2 car lengths. This isn't advertising, this is litter!
I e-mailed the City of Marysville to ask about the current regulation for these signs. The answer was surprising: "Generally, those types of signs are not legal with the following exceptions - political signs of this type are allowed in ROW (right-of-way) during the political seasons. Open house signs are allowed during an open house. The general advertising of subdivisions and other things are not allowed within ROW. Our crews do drive-by sweeps to remove them (picking up many truckloads whenever they do a sweep), although they always come back. They have also been scheduling runs occasionally on weekends as that seems to be when they really rear their heads. The developers and real estate people have been complaining about removal however, claiming it is hitting them when they are down . . . so I think we have been easing up the 'sweeps'-although they are still illegal and so we do remove them but perhaps haven't been as aggressive about it for several months."
So there it is, the signs are illegal and to get them taken care of we have to pay city or county workers to pick them up. We know how the budgets are already stretched. I say that we pick them up and charge the folks putting them out a litter fee.
I am not after the weekend garage sale sign, the Realtor open house sign or the signs on private property. I'm after these signs at every corner, the signs posted in the yards of the Marysville Library and local schools, the signs in front of every strip shopping center in town.
Or here's another solution--pick them up, save the stake for next spring's tomatoes and recycle the boards.
Eric Emery
Marysville
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