ROCKPORT — A proliferation of sandwich-style signboards downtown has prompted consideration of whether a town bylaw banning them should be enforced or reconsidered.
Lori Kaiser, chair of the Government & By-Law Committee, said the panel’s Oct. 6 meeting via Zoom was focused on discussing the town’s bylaw regarding the placement of signs, specifically temporary sandwich board, in parts of town, especially on Bearskin Neck.
“That is the ancillary uses,” Kaiser said. “The Planning Board has a zoning bylaw that actually forbids these types of things.”
However, the general bylaw permits the Select Board to grant “special permission” to the practice of advertising using the sandwich-style signboards, she said.
“These sandwich board things are actually on public property but they advertise private businesses,” she said. “Mostly they advertise the (business) they’re right in front of but other times they point down the street and say the business is down the street.”
The placement of signs shall not be permitted “without the consent of the Board of Selectmen, or the official having jurisdiction over said property,” according to Chapter 13 of the zoning bylaw under “Commerce and Trade.”
The bylaw also prohibits signs or advertising devices from being “erected on any premises or affixed to the outside of any structure, in the town of Rockport without a permit issued by the Board of Selectmen.”
After review of the bylaw by town counsel, and following discussions with town counsel, the Select and Planning boards are considering removing the “ancillary” provisions in the bylaw, Kaiser said.
“It turns out that the zoning bylaw is the one that is actually in effect,” she said. “What’s been happening for the last 30-some years, the Select Board has been authorizing these sandwich-board type things, mostly on Bearskin Neck, and they are actually in violation.”
In the meantime, Kaiser said she believes the question of whether sandwich boards should be allowed needs the public’s consideration and input.
“I felt that we really needed to discuss this and to let the public know about it,” she said. “I felt that this was happening kind of fast and maybe this is a whole lot of nonsense and maybe the town is fine with the way we’ve been doing this for the last 30 years.”
Repealing the bylaw would require Town Meeting to agree to the idea by a two-thirds majority, Kaiser said.
Kaiser suggested holding a public hearing in the near future before any formal decisions are made.
Committee member Gregg Kvistad said his sense is that the sandwich-board signs “are a relatively new phenomenon.”
“The complication with Bearskin Neck is that the Select Board owns that,” he said. “They are in complete control of any sign that appears there — either on a building or one of these sandwich-boards.”
Another potential issue is the appearance of signs that have not been issued the proper permits.
“I wonder if the Select Board has actively permitted these sandwich boards on Bearskin Neck,” Kvistad said. “They’ve just popped up.”
Some signs on Bearskin Neck have not received the proper permits, Town Administrator Mitch Vieira said.
“Some are permitted and I think some are, as you say Gregg, they just appeared,” he said.
Oversight of placement of signs in town needs to be clarified, Kaiser said.
“The zoning still applies,” she said. “We have been essentially ignoring the zoning bylaw. As part of our job, we need to clean that up. It behooves the town to be able to discuss that.”
Vice Chair Susan Lillis agreed.
“Of course you’re right,” she said. “I certainly think (the) innkeepers would have something to say on this point. We would have to have some kind of meeting.”
Committee member Shelia Becker echoed Lillis.
“I think there’s enough confusion about this,” she said. “It’s best to have a hearing and have as many people involved as possible.”
The Government & By-Law Committee should continue its discussion about sandwich boards during its next meeting, tentatively slated for Nov. 10, Kaiser said.
The Government & Bylaw Committee works to serve Town Meeting as an advisory committee. Each member serves a staggered three-year term.
Stephen Hagan may be contacted at 978-675-2708, or shagan@gloucestertimes.com.