LETTER: Political Signs in Public Right of Way Must be Removed

In a letter to MyRye.com, former Board of Education Trustee and Ridgewood Drive resident Bob Zahm encourages the City of Rye to enforce its law prohibiting signs in the public right of way.

By Bob Zahm

While Spring is viewed as the start of the growing season, Fall brings its own crop, but of campaign signs as opposed to plants. With national and state elections approaching, the sign “crop” can get particularly thick.

Rye’s local ordinance (165-6 Prohibited signs in all districts) bans the posting of signs within the public right of way (usually 10 feet away from the sidewalk or street) and provides a way to weed out these eyesores. However, enforcement of this law, as with the leaf blower “ban” falls on local residents who must report any violations to trigger action by the City.

At the 10 October 2024 City Council meeting, City Manager Greg Usry advised that signs found in the public right of way be reported to the Rye Building Department – by email or telephone. Previously, reports had been directed to the Police Department, but both departments have enforcement authority and so are authorized to actually remove offending signs.

Given that virtually every city address is visited twice a week by our DPW, it would seem a small step for DPW to directly report offending signs to the Building Department. Perhaps the city could deputize DPW to simply remove signs during their twice weekly garbage pickup rounds. A change like this could make enforcement happen more quickly. It would also remove the need for a neighbor-reporting-on-neighbor practice.

Does this anti-signage ordinance make sense for Rye? Perhaps, as its consistent enforcement should improve the visual aesthetics of Rye. However, while the City seems to consistently remove for-profit advertisements, personal signs (graduation announcements, yard sales, etc.) as well as charity fundraisers seem to receive an unwritten variance. Perhaps the City Council should codify these practices.