Visitors coming to Madison from the east can't miss the new and rather unsightly sign for our latest economic development: the new Dollar General store. The big, boxy, yellow sign with chunky black letters beckons shoppers to Madison's third dollar store. (Three dollar stores? Just how many outlets does one town need for cheap plastic junk from China?)
Turns out the Dollar General sign offends not only this author's senses but the City of Madison's sign ordinances. According to tonight's city commission agenda (page 20), Pride Neon, Inc., of Sioux Falls installed the Dollar General sign so that the streetward end hangs just six inches from the property line. City ordinance requires signs to stand at least five feet back from the property line.
So does Madison's newest corporate resident intend to address this violation of city law? By requesting an after-the-fact variance. Evidently moving the sign to conform to local laws would be too much of a hassle. According Pride Neon's Gale Mudder, writing on behalf of Dollar General (page 22 of tonight's agenda packet), "Locating the sign 5' behind the property line would place the support pipe in the parking lot area which would eliminate (1) parking space and could create a traffic hazard as well as subjecting the support pipe to possible damage by vehicles."
Evidently Dollar General didn't get to be a $9.2-billion company by sacrificing parking spaces or putting up a couple concrete barriers to keep savings-frenzied shoppers from crashing into their signs.
The permit application Pride Neon's Allan Meyer signed back in February (page 26, agenda packet) says explicitly, "All provisions of laws and ordinances governing this type of work will be complied with whether specified herein or not." It looks like Dollar General asked its sign contractor to ignore city ordinance and stick that sign right where the company wanted it. Now that the concrete is poured and the steel all bolted down, they want us to just excuse them for breaking the law.
A city commission interested in making clear that Madison is ruled by laws and not whim would tell Dollar General, "Sorry, but you screwed up, and the laws apply to everyone. Move the sign." But Dollar General has gotten its business neighbors -- Lewis Drug, the Schaefer plaza, and Dennis Miller -- to sign statements saying they have no objection to the sign staying where it is (pp. 23-25, agenda packet). Good Midwesterners all, they apparently don't want to raise a fuss.
Perhaps the city commission will surprise us an actually hold our newest corporate resident to its word. Otherwise, I assume the commission will start granting every builder amnesty for sticking signs and garages and other improvements wherever they darn well please.
Note: Let's compare the city's response to multibillion-dollar corporation Dollar General to the response they give local residents Roger and Charlotte Hanson, who are also requesting an after-the-fact variance for a construction boo-boo (pp. 13-15, agenda packet). They apparently poured a concrete slab for a garage a foot too close to the property line. "We were wrong," write the Hansons in their variance request, "and apologize for not checking out the full requirements first." That's more of an acknowledgment of wrongdoing than Dollar General or Pride Neon gives. The city's responses to these requests tonight will tell a lot about where local residents and big corporations stand in the eyes of our elected officials.
Interesting. One would hope that both would face a fine of some sort for violating the ordinance although the local resident's apology would sit better with me than a corporation saying they installed the sign this way so they didn't eliminate one parking spot. Frankly, I don't see how one parking spot will make a big difference for traffic congestion in their lot.
ReplyDeleteGack. Winner has three "dollar" stores now too. Dollar General here has a lighting system for their parking area that is all lighted from the store front. The lights are so bright they are a traffic hazard for the adjacent highway.
ReplyDeleteI wandered through there once and saw no real deals, but a lot of well-arranged junk and really wondered how they could stay in business.
I like going through the grocery aisle at these dollar stores, which I call the "Land of the Misfit Brands," ala the "Land of the Misfit Toys" in the stop action Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer holiday classic. They find brands of food I've never heard of. Must be popular in out of the way English speaking places like St. Kitts or the Falklands.
ReplyDeleteMany of you probably don't remember that Dollar General already requested and received a variance from the City of Madison to install LESS parking spaces than what is required for the size of store they put up in Madison. I'm wondering where our new Building Inspector was when the footings for the sign were placed and later when the sign was installed? Just guessing that corporate thinking is, "built it first, then fix it later, if we really have to", knowing that small town America is an understanding, forgiving bunch. I say MOVE THE SIGN so it matches the other new signs along Washington Avenue including Randy Schaefer's signs, Lewis Drug, Montgomery's and Interlakes FCU and is compliant with City Ordinance.
ReplyDelete"build it first, then fix it later"
ReplyDeleteThis motto is very prevalent in our fair city, and one which our school district strictly adheres to. Which is why we add on to brand new buildings, for instance.
Can anyone find an example of our ordinances being enforced after the fact? All cases I know of have been granted the variance.
DJ
The next time you are going down Washington, take a look at UBC's sign. You'll notice that the pole is on the far east side of the sign. The sign use to centered on that pole. But that sign was in voliation of the same city ordinance that Dollar General is in violation of. Will be interesting to see what the commission says
ReplyDelete