How many ‘open’ signs are allowed?

By GREGG RETTIG

Editor

A former educator got an education during the recent Plain City Planning and Zoning meeting.

Tammy Redmond, who owns Tique-Tock Antiques, located at 101 S. Chillicothe St., made a simple request. Her store front faces two streets. Therefore, she wanted to add a second “open” sign.

As it turns out, the request was not all that simple. Plain City code says a store owner can have just one neon open sign. Redmond and planning commission members discussed the matter for nearly a half hour before coming up with a solution.

In the end, Redmond opted to go with a second open sign with white bulbs, as opposed to neon.

Beforehand, however, the business owner got emotional. She said she simply wanted to put a second small sign up.

“I could do things that look a lot tackier,” Redmond told planning commission members. “I don’t need to be a pain. I just feel like I keep hitting roadblocks.

Village attorney Eamon Costello explained to Redmond that the village wants to help her, but that code is the code. It would require a change, which could have taken up to three months.

“It takes time (to change the code),” he said. ‘We are sympathetic to your plight. The code is the result of constant brainstorming and it takes time to tinker with it.”

Redmond asked what if she just hung up a second neon open sign. She was informed that could result in a $500 daily fine.

“You have to find ways to help businesses succeed,” she said.