Signs, signs, everywhere the signs
(More on yard signs from our Meredith Barkley)
Charles and Mary Elizabeth Irvin thought all the political signs in their West Market Street yard - 28 of them at last count - were a public service. They felt the signs helped voters begin to recognize names they'll find on the long Nov. 2 ballot.
To the city of Greensboro and one anonymous caller, though, there were way too many of them. In response to the caller's complaint, city zoning enforcement officers sent the Irvin's a certified letter last week and paid them a visit earlier this week.
The Irvins' signs, they say, are violating a city ordinance which prohibits more than six political signs per yard.
Mary Elizabeth Irvin didn't know about the ordinance. But she has a definite opinion of it.
"I feel like when you buy property you own it from hell to heaven and I don't think you have a right to tell me what I can do with it, as long as I'm not hurting anybody, and those signs aren't hurting anybody," she said. "They're taking my property rights away and also my freedom of speech."
Since all her signs - except one - are for Republican candidates, she figures a die hard Democrat must have been the complaintant.
While the Irvins are the only homeowners cited so far for too many signs, several property owners have gotten letters because their signs are too big. They can't more than six square feet and more than six feet high.
But the biggest problem, city zoning officials say, are the signs that have gone up in public right-of-ways all over town.
"They end up trashing up the landscape," said Bill Ruska, the city's zoning administrator. "It's a headache."
Every now and then zoning officers go through an area and confiscate those in right of ways.
Property owners can be fined $50 and up for not complying with an order to take signs down. But as a practical matter it is unlikely a homeowner cited this close to the election would be fined.
For one thing few, if any, ever have been. For another, they could appeal to the city Board of Adjustment, and the earliest meeting they could get on the agenda would be late November. Once appealed, the zoning department could do nothing until then.