The signs can stay!

On Monday, Aug 5, the Selectboard considered the topic of the “Save our Residential Neighborhood” signs that have popped up all up and down Greensboro Rd, and all the way out into Etna and in other spots around town. For background on the topic, you can read previous posts here and here.

The Selectboard seemed mostly sympathetic to our plight, and the confusing standards that were being applied to the signs. Comparisons were made to other signs that appear around town, both in the town right of way and on private property, such as “Solarize Hanover”, “Black Lives Matter”, “Love Trumps Hate”, and others. Rob Houseman indicated that any signs on private property are most likely zoning violations, but apparently we have a “complaint based” enforcement system, so if no one complains, no action is ever initiated by the town. Seems odd that town officials would drive, bike, walk right past obvious violations every day and then try to bring the hammer down on us, but so it is.

Town Manager Julia Griffin stated that because Greensboro Rd and Etna Rd are state roads, not town roads, it really is up to the state to determine what can be in the right of way. She went on to say that she had spoken to someone at the state level who told her that they would not entertain any requests for signs in the state right of way, but that they would allow the town to make the decision for them. Based on that information, the Selectboard voted unanimously to allow the signs to remain in the right of way until Sept 30th as we requested.

Julia’s statement that the state is willing to cede authority to the town in matters relating to the state roads is curious. It seems as if the town called the state, and the state essentially said, “We don’t care, do whatever you want.” It begs the question of why the town then doesn’t do the same on issues such as biker/pedestrian safety, speed limits, road conditions, drainage issues, and a whole host of other topics. But maybe that’s a topic for another day . . .