At the end of last Monday night’s (Dec. 1) Board of Selectmen meeting, two selectmen disagreed over whether the town is moving fast enough to review retailer concerns on signage.
An exchange between first selectman Bill Brennan and selectman Jim Saxe made it clear that they don’t see eye to eye on how that review is happening. Saxe suggested that someone from Planning and Zoning–either P&Z commission chair Chris Hulse or another commissioner–should update the selectmen about what they plan to do sooner rather than later, while Brennan disagreed, saying, “It’s a process, it’s not going to happen overnight.”
The ongoing issue centers on whether the town’s regulations are too strict on businesses and the signs they use to advertise. Following an appeal by Blue Star Bazaar owner Megan Abrahamsen at the BoS meeting on Nov. 18, the selectmen agreed that perhaps town regulations needed to be reviewed in light of concerns raised by Abrahamsen, who told the selectmen how the town’s current regulations are restrictive enough to impact her sales and make it difficult to do business in Wilton. In a letter to the editor published in GOOD Morning Wilton, she called the sign issue “life or death” for a small, locally-owned business like hers.
Anecdotally, the selectmen had said they’d heard similar opinions from other retailers and at the Nov. 18 meeting concluded that Brennan would reach out to P&Z’s Hulse.
“It’s an issue I personally feel needs to be addressed, it’s timely. We can’t promise anything, it’s P&Z’s job to review the ordinance. It is timely that we review our signage ordinance and I will continue to push that to get it on the agenda. They’ve got to take this on. Whatever they change, or don’t change, I can’t promise, but it needs to reviewed, it’s their responsibility to do that, it’s timely to do it,” Brennan said at the Nov. 18 meeting.
At the end of the Dec. 1 meeting Saxe raised the issue, asking whether there was yet any feedback from the town’s P&Z commissioners or from the town planner.
Brennan said he had spoken with Hulse about signage, and was told that P&Z was “taking it up.” He added that he had spoken “personally” with Hulse. “It’s long overdue for them to take a look at our signage regulations, and they’re going to take it up as a formal review.”
Saxe pressed the issue: “I’d like to see him here next time, Chris or someone from P&Z to talk a little more about that. We’ve got the EDC [Economic Development Commission], on the one hand we’re trying to develop things, and on the other hand we’ve got small businesses hampered because they can’t announce their business. So there’s got to be a common sense thing.”
Brennan seemed reticent to push another town official.
“I’ve put a lot of pressure on him to look at this thing to see if they respond. What I insinuated is that if we don’t get a response in a reasonable period of time, then I’m going to do what I did when I first came into office–when the plan of development and conservation was almost 10 years old–I went to them, as a public thing to get it going. They got it done and did a great job. Chris is a good guy, I’d like to see how they respond. They’re well aware it’s a problem.”
Saxe said, “I definitely think a sandwich board in front of a business is something they should consider. The other thing is that I understand our building department or zoning crew has told vendors to remove signs from the windows as well.”
Brennan responded, “The biggest issue is the balance. During the recession we allowed businesses to put out the sandwich boards. They were in survival mode. But once the sandwich boards get out there up and down River Rd., we start getting complaints from residents, about Wilton starting to look like Coney Island.”
He added that P&Z commission protocol is different, where public comment is not permitted. The only people who can appear before the commission are those with specific projects or issue that relate to the land-use regulations. “Then you apply and speak and eventually they make a ruling.”
He also said that the board is an elected one–perhaps suggesting that to challenge them would not be appropriate.
Selectman Richard (Dick) Dubow added, “I don’t want to impinge on their prerogative but I do agree with Jim. We talk about economic development, and I agree with you [Brennan] totally, there is a balance that has to be struck. I think it’s long overdue, we ought to take a look at it, it is an ordinance. We should be there to support our businesses.”
Brennan continued to urge patience.
“It’s important, but again, it’s their responsibility to respond to the pressure we’ve put on them. We’ve had it amplified in the papers with different stories. We know there are issues with signage that have plagued the town over the years. It’s timely to review our regulations. It’s their responsibility–they’re responsible for land-use regulations. Chris has told me they’re taking this up as a formal issue. Let’s see what they say.”
Dubow raised the question about “whose” ordinance the sign issue is–town or P&Z.
Brennan responded, “It’s ours.”
Saxe underscored his desire to move things faster. “That’s what I mean. Maybe it’s something we should just address.”
The first selectman reiterated that he has advocated on the issue before–but still wanted to follow a path of decorum.
“For the record, I talked personally with the last P&Z commissioner who preceded Chris [Hulse]. I brought him in pictures. Whatever happened didn’t happen. This time, I’ve explained it very carefully to Chris that we’re looking to P&Z…I’m an ad hoc member of [P&Z], I can go and sit in there anytime I want and make a big deal out of it. But I’d like to work with the chairman and he’s told me they’re going to take it up, and I want to see what they come back with. If it doesn’t happen then we’ll ask him to come in here and explain what’s going on.”
Saxe responded, “I’d still like to see an update in two weeks from them. It’s been two weeks. It will be a month…”
Brennan: “I disagree. I do not want to do that with Chris after he’s given me his word that he’s going to take it up with the commission. I think it would be unfair. They don’t have anything that’s happening for Christ to come in.”
Dubow: “December is a big month for retailers.”
Saxe: “That’s what I’m saying. This is it, make or break it.”
Brennan: “Anything they do isn’t going to happen overnight. They’re not going to sit down and review it and suddenly in two weeks have a whole new program, or change our sign regulations.”
Saxe: “But think we could do something if we were to agree on it, since it is our regulation.”
Dubow: “We’d have to go through a public hearing…”
Brennan: “We have to go through the whole nine yards. It’s a process they’re going to have to go through.”
Dubow: “We’re on the record as saying we think it’s important.”
Brennan: “We did. We’ve told them that. I’ve made it very clear it’s really overdue. He agrees, they’re going to take it up and I think that’s important.”
Dubow: “Did we get a date from Chris when they would come to our board…”
Brennan: “They’ve already had some discussions about it.”
Saxe: “Well I’d like to see an update at our next meeting. If you’re not going to provide it then I guess we’re not going to get it.”
Brennan: “I am not going to get into a contest of wills with you tonight, Jim. I’m just to tell you…”
Saxe: “It’s a reasonable request Bill.”
Brennan: “It’s a reasonable request, but I’m not going to bring them in here in two weeks just to have them …
Saxe: “I’m not asking that. I’m asking to have an update in two weeks.”
Brennan: “Well, maybe, maybe. I don’t have the time in the next week to do anything. I’m going to be home as a result of this surgery…”
Saxe: “Maybe they can send you an email?”
Brennan: “You want to call Chris? You call Chris and ask him, that we’ve discussed this, that it’s been an issue with the Board of Selectmen and we’d like to get an update about what they’re going to do on the sign thing. That’s the way you’ll get it. I happen to think that Chris is a really good guy, and he knows what has to be done. And it’s a process, it’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to take time–”
Dubow: “It will.”
Brennan: “–It’s complicated. It’s not so simple, to just say, ‘Ok, they can put signs out.’ You do that, suddenly you have signs everywhere. It’s a balance of what’s reasonable and …
Dubow: “I think we understand that.”
Saxe: “Thank you Dick.”
As for Hulse, he responded to a request from GMW for a comment. Because he wasn’t present at the Selectmen’s meeting on Dec. 1, he was asked to comment in general on what the status is on the signage question with P&Z. He offered this response via email:
“My thoughts on the sign issue is I need to better understand and educate myself on how surrounding towns have dealt with similar sign issues and how surrounding town regulations mirror or differ from ours on this topic. So I’m personally in the information collection phase. I want to look at our regulations objectively and then with the information I collect determine, what if anything is needed and if so the best process to address it.”
Planning & Zoning is scheduled to have their regular meeting tonight, at 7:15 p.m. in the Town Annex building, meeting room A.