2362Nebraska St.tifAugust 16, 2010
Mike Anderson
2362 Nebraska St
Blair NE 68008
Re: Garage Sale Signs
Dear Mr. Anderson:
Attached please find a copy of the City Ordinance dealing with "Garage Sale Signs." As you can see the
ordinance is very concise as to where signs can be placed.
In addition to the ordinance, every agreement this City has with the State of Nebraska for highway
improvements requires the City to "clear" the State and Federal highway right of ways of all advertising
signs.
First, we have historically tried to be as lenient as we can. We normally try, right or wrong, to leave the
signs placed on right of way as long as they are not in the street, on light poles, or attached to signs and sign
poles. We have tried to balance the desires of the citizens that don't want any signs and clutter on right of
way with the desires of the citizens that want to have a small sale to get rid of good used items.
Secondly, we unfortunately do not have enough staff to dedicate someone to "police" the right of ways to
remove all signs that don't comply. We rely on existing staff. Unfortunately, this creates some inequities as
the staff members all place a different priority as to which signs should be removed and which shouldn't.
There are times, as in your case, where staff members are working in the north area of the community and
they see signs that don't comply and remove them, but similar signs in the southern part of the community
don't get removed. Although we strive to be as equitable as possible, sometimes it just doesn't happen.
I spoke to the Parks Department in relation to why they had informed you that you couldn't have a ground
sign. Pat had interpreted that the right of way along Nebraska street was park ground. I have instructed
him not to pick up any signs on the right of way next to the park, but to only pick up signs that are actually
in the park. The Nebraska street right of way is 80 feet in width or 40 feet from either side of the center
line.
If you still have questions, please feel free to contact me. I apologize for the delay in getting you this
information and inconvenience in directing people to your yard sale.
Rodney A. Storm
City Administrator
CITY Of bLAII
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218 South 16th Street • Blair, Nebraska 68008 • 402 -426 -4191 • Fax 402 -426 -4195 • E -mail cityofblair @ci,blair.ne,us
2. A request for a commercial sign permit is initiated by filing an application with the
City Administrator upon forms prescribed for the purpose. The application shall be
accompanied by drawings or a site plan or other such plans and data showing the
description data and other materials constituting a record essential to an
understanding of the proposed commercial sign.
3. The applicant shall submit with the application a nonrefundable application fee. Said
fee shall be set and determined from time to time as deemed necessary by the Mayor
and City council by resolution and shall be appended to the Municipal Code as part
of an appendix for permit license and application fees.
4. In considering whether or not to grant the application, the office of the City
Administrator shall consider pedestrian safety and convenience, traffic and pedestrian
flow and control, glare, and compatibility and harmony with properties in the district.
5. The length of time a commercial sign may be placed upon the right of way owned by the
City of Blair, Nebraska, shall be determined by the office of the City Administrator but,
in no event, shall a commercial sign be allowed to be placed on any property for more
than ten (10) days during any calendar year.
(C) Signs advertising real estate for sale placed on City -owned right of way that do not conform to
the foregoing terms and conditions, any signs placed on City owned parks, parking lots or other
City owned real estate, and any commercial signs in violation of section 8- 110(b), hereinabove,
shall be removed and disposed of by the City Administrator or by City employees designated by
the City Administrator of the City of Blair, Nebraska.
Sec. 8 -111 TEMPORARY YARD /GARAGE SALE SIGNS.
(A) Temporary signs advertising yard or garage sales may be placed upon right of way owned by the
City of Blair, Nebraska, in any residential zoning district, provided that the following terms and
conditions are satisfied:
1. Signs shall not exceed ten (10) square feet in area;
2. Signs shall be placed:
(a) Not less than fifteen (15) feet from the back of the curb or edge of the pavement if
no curb exists, or,
(b) On the interior side of the sidewalk, whichever location is the greater distance
from the street;
3. Signs must be placed at least fifty (50) feet from a corner;
4. Such signs may only be placed on the right of way immediately abutting the specific
real estate on which the yard or garage sale is taking place and may not be placed at
any other location; such signs shall be removed within twenty -four (24) hours of the
completion of the sale; and,
5. The provisions of this section shall apply only to right of way owned by the City and
shall not apply to City owned parks, parking lots or other City owned real estate.
(B) Yard or garage sale signs placed on City owned right of way that do not conform to the foregoing
teems and conditions or any such signs placed on any City owned parks, parking lots or other