The spring and summer seasons have arrived and with their arrival comes a proliferation in outdoor advertisement signs. The City of Brookings would like to often remind both residents and businesses of a few regulations that help to protect the safety and welfare of our community.
The Brookings Municipal Code prohibits outdoor advertisement signs from being attached to utility poles, light poles, public structures, trees, fire hydrants, bridges, curbs, sidewalks or other surfaces located on public property. Advertisements create a safety hazards when affixed to street signs or STOP signs by distracting drivers. Sticky tape residue is often left behind when an advertisement sign is removed causing property damage and increased maintenance costs.
While the City recognizes that garage and yard sales are a popular activity in our community, we encourage residents to find other ways to advertise their sales, including advertising in the local newspaper, internet, or arranging with private property owners to allow posting of direction signs.
In addition, businesses located on commercial properties are allowed to display one (1) sandwich board sign on private property or public right-of-way and are reminded that such signs can only be displayed during hours the business is open to the public. When signs are not collected and stored properly by businesses after hours they can become a neglected nuisance and the subject of vandalism.
Sandwich board signs placed in the public right-of-way must leave at least three (3) feet of unobstructed sidewalk area to provide for the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility for pedestrians and cannot be placed in parking spaces or travel lanes.
In order to protect property and prevent a proliferation in sign clutter city staff will remove any outdoor advertisement signs found to be in violation of the above mentioned sign regulations. The signs will be held at City Hall and if the sign owner can be identified, they will be contacted by city staff to retrieve the sign.