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Mayor would establish citywide standards for sandwich-board signs
By adamg on Mon, 09/21/2015 - 10:12pm
Lobster sandwich board in the Back Bay.
Sandwich-board signs, which have proven controversial along some shopping streets in the city's tonier wards, would get a city imprimatur if they meet certain specifications, under a proposal by Mayor Walsh.
Walsh says sandwich boards are "significant marketing tools for small and local businesses" and something he supports - within limits.
Walsh last week sent the City Council a proposed addition to the city's street-side advertising ordinance that would allow the signs if they're no more than 24x36 inches in size, don't block the sidewalk for pedestrians, are not chained to anything and are taken in when the businesses close.
The council is scheduled to acknowledge receipt of the proposed ordinance change on Wednesday, after which, if it follows its usual practice, will refer it to a committee for study.
In addition to limiting the size of the signs, Walsh would ban their use to advertise tobacco and cigarettes. The signs would also have to have the businesses' phone numbers.
And in a possible issue for stores that like making snarky comments about current events, the proposed new regulation would limit the signs to advertising products sold in the stores that put them out.
Ed. note: If you take a look at the complete proposal, you'll notice it starts with language about handbills. That's already city code, not something new the mayor is proposing.
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
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 Walsh's proposal | 89.34 KB |
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Comments
This sounds like a good use
This sounds like a good use of time and money.
Right? I sure am glad Mayor
Right? I sure am glad Mayor Walsh is on top of all the stuff that keeps people awake at night like sandwich boards and baseball players dipping!
If merchants were already doing these things ...
... there would be no need to specify them or regulate.
This is in response to complaints, many of them having little to do with average neighborhood income.
All those complaints about
All those complaints about pro-Brady sandwich boards made it so they are only allowed to advertise products sold by the store? Don't think so. #FreeBrady
And the penalty is that the sign will be confiscated? Is this elementary school?
I have a complaint! Why doesn
I have a complaint! Why doesn't the Mayor return his phone calls?
Because you're dialing
Jim Marzilli.
ENOUGH is ENOUGH
Can we work on more SERIOUS ISSUES???
You do realize ...
There's more going on at City Hall than just this one issue, right?
Really?
Mr. Mayor, Really? It sure does seem like you have too much time on your hands.
Daily practice aside, I
Daily practice aside, I thought sandwich boards were not allowed in certain neighborhoods like the Back Bay proper. Will this supersede the existing regs?
Sandwich boards have always
Sandwich boards have always been on Mass Ave., Boylston and Newbury streets in the Back Bay.
"Daily practice aside ..."
"Daily practice aside ..."
paging a Constitutional lawyer
Cities can regulate sizes and placement of signs on private buildings and in public spaces like sidewalks. I don't know the limits of regulating the speech on the sign.
Good question
Considering Marty was willing to gag city employees in obedience to the Olympic Dictatorial Committee (albeit he supposedly didn't know this was in the contract) this suggests a belief on Marty's part that Boston government (i.e., the Mayor) believes he has a right to regulate commercial speech? Beyond inflammatory speech designed to incite violence or some other way cause harm, Marty does not have a right to tell people what they may print.
Does Marty forget he lives in Massachusetts where we take little things like free speech very seriously. And not just sine 1787. Apparently colonial Massachusetts was known for being rather head strong in the context of self-determination. That of course being qualified by the early religoius dictatorship of Puritans.
Apparently it was due to the particularly stubborn sense of independence that made people of Massachusetts, and particularly Boston, an important target for the English Crown to subdue or not break. This insight was provided by a docent at the Old State House.
Commercial speech
Commercial speech, such as advertisements on public roads, can be regulated.
This doesn't seem to do that
If you read what they are voting on, it is basically adding 12 s.f. of additional signage to every store in the city with no review or fee. While businesses need signs so people can find them, a bunch of stuff junking up the sidewalk (which is probably narrow and possibly all wiggly and brick) doesn't seem like a great addition to the city. Seems like the idea isn't really ready yet.
"Serious issues" people, relax
Or better yet, try getting around the city in a wheelchair or with crutches. I expect you'll change your mind about whether regulating the size of sidewalk signs matters.
Moral of the story: just because it's not a problem for you at the moment, doesn't mean it's not a problem.
And that problem is sidewalk obstruction
Which is ALREADY covered by other regulations. We don't need another round of special regulations and nit-picking rules to cover what are effectively snobbish attiudes about how shops conduct their business.
That's what the "more serious issues" gang is getting at here.
Maybe, but...
...I doubt the "more serious issues" gang is really all that well versed in local ordnances.
Lots of improvements could be
Lots of improvements could be easily made to Boston IF the mayor cared about making the city safer and more walkable, like removing those glowing billboards from already too narrow sidewalks Menino put all over, ticketing and towing all cars that park on the sidewalk, even rock star (1/2 wheels on, half off) in all neighborhoods, and widening sidewalks that are too narrow by removing a few spaces in particularly tight streets.
because the T is no longer a
because the T is no longer a hot mess , dysfunctional and constantly on fire or broke down, and children are no longer being shot to death while riding their bicycles in Deathchester...
N.B.
The city does not run the MBTA. It is a state agency.