Boston City Council Discusses Sidewalk Signs

The Boston City Council has a Special Committee on “Small Business, Entrepreneurship & Innovation.” This Committee is going to take testimony and deliberate about regulations concerning free-standing sidewalk signs in our fair city. The date: July 23, 2015. The time: 2:00 pm. The location: City Council Chambers.

One reason for the hearing is the profusion of new, old, and conflicting regulations that can be applied to these free-standing sidewalk signs. The current City of Boston zoning codes have different standards for different neighborhoods, as well as for various business districts and even for some of the sub-districts within those areas.

Once your business gets a ticket for having an “illegal” sidewalk sign, you tend to get interested in the topic. And many of those who put out sidewalk signs but have not yet been cited are now waking up to the reality that they can be targeted by the zoning authorities.

As you probably know, free-standing sidewalk signs are very effective at catching the attention of passersby, and directing them into local retailers for items of interest. As a result, they seem to be proliferating.

One purpose of the hearing is to increase business owners’ understanding of the regulations, how they apply in various locations, how to comply with them, and what the consequences might be for non-compliance. Regulations for these signs address such issues as: signage content, placement, size, and pedestrian safety.

The hearing will feature representatives from a number of city departments, including the Boston Transportation Department, the Code Enforcement Division of the Public Works Department, the Inspectional Services Department, the Disabilities Commission, and also the Main Streets program within the Department of Neighborhood Development.

If you have a sidewalk sign currently deployed, or you’re considering one, you might want to attend this hearing, or at least find out the results of this important public meeting.

You can also contact us here for our help and advice in creating your own highly effective sidewalk signage.