Signs can be considered as visual pollution or an essential tool of doing business depending on one’s point of view. An example is the liquor store at the county line on Route 5 in Charlotte Hall. It’s the first thing visitors see when they enter the county. That store was so plastered with signs that the county sign ordinance was revised to limit the number of temporary signs such as those offering special deals on individual products.
When the Department of Land Use and Growth Management (LUGM) recently started getting complaints about the signs, mostly at liquor stores and bars, they secured a list of licensed establishments from the liquor board and sent an inspector around. At a recent liquor board meeting, David Dent of the St. Mary’s County Licensed Beverage Association recently complained to the board about the enforcement.
The regulations limit the square footage of signs on a property and also limit temporary signs to two months every year. One of the establishments visited was Chaptico Market. James Tennyson has operated the small country store business for 47 years. The inspector threatened a $250 per sign fine for the illegal signs. Tennyson told the commissioners on Tuesday that he removed 19 signs from the store, which now stands naked of signs. “I think they were pretty neat signs myself,” he told the commissioners.
Commissioner Daniel Morgan (R: 2nd) noted Tennyson’s longevity in business. “These aren’t criminals. They are people trying to do business.”
Land Use and Growth Management Director Phillip Shire said his department couldn’t do selective enforcement, but they were open to suggestions.
Morris then individually ordered LUGM to suspend the imposition of fines until there was some study of what to do. “I hope we can find some kind of happy medium,” he said. None of the other commissioners disagreed with Morris.
Another bone of contention with the sign ordinance is the limit of the sizes for temporary signs and banners advertising non-profit events, such as the Oyster and Crab festivals. The commissioners want that looked at as well.
Commissioner Lawrence Jarboe (R: 3rd) said he has heard complaints about the court ruling that allows political signs for the judge’s race to remain up for a year because of the length of time between the primary and the general election, but at the same time businesses are being penalized.
County Administrator John Savich noted that the issue wasn’t a “health and safety issue” but a “quality of life” issue. He suggested that LUGM hold a workshop for county businesses to discuss the issue and bring back recommendati
