Signs of Clutter: Millville's Sign Ordnance

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We DO Pay Attention to Noise Problems Here.

On Thursday night I had a Zoning Board meeting. We spent over an hour debating whether Community Health Care on High Street would be granted a variance to build a large digital messaging sign. They already had signs that were not conforming to the city's zoning ordnance. The lawyer and the rep from Community gave us all these stats about how many folks they help and they they are a non-profit. They were really blowing smoke at us to bore us in to submission.  In the end most of the board did approve of this large garish sign. There was little if any talk of positive or negative criteria in the discussion.  It appears that the city's sign ordencence is vague or not really enforced when it comes to large messaging signs. One of the board member excused this ugly sign because there is ALREADY a large McDonalds sign. So we just allow a bunch of large messaging signs all along High Street as one gets closer to our Arts District. My question, what impression (message) are folks going to have 10 years from now when High Street is LITTERED with 7 messaging signs from McDonalds, Rite Aid, Dr Offices, etc. Of course our local papers did not cover this long debate, they wrote about the pending request of Wal-Mart to expand. All the Zoning Board did was to approve that the application was complete.  When we will get serious about this?? Its the old Okie Dokie just letting thing go cause we all just  get along. Go along to get along. I think you get the picture!!