So I was driving around yesterday, and I noticed something new along the highways of Howard County. Antwerpen motors apparently has had someone out putting up advertising banners on local overpasses. There were two seen on MD 100, one at US 29 and Broken Land Parkway, and one on 95 at MD 32. The banners are about 3 by 5 feet (at first when I saw them I thought someone had put up flags) and display the Antwerpen logo, slogan, and phone number.
I'm guessing that the intent of these signs is temporary advertising. And in my view this is an extension of the code on temporary signage gone too far.
My understanding of this code is that it's to allow businesses to put up signs over the weekend, with the understanding that the signs have to come down by a particular time of the week. Typically, these signs have been to promote businesses that typically transact on weekends-- yard sales, produce stands, open houses for realtors, etc. This marketing method has been extended to promote businesses' sales, special events, etc.
I'll note that, as far as I could see, these banners were promoting no special event at Antwerpen. So this seemed to be just general business advertising.
I'm bothered by this. First off, the banners are pretty big. Second, I would imagine these banners are protected per county code (although I thought it interesting I saw none in a county right of way), but as these appear to be general advertising, I am concerned about the precedent. What if on the weekends, large signs just popped up along the road for Starbucks, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, whatever? Do we really need more signs popping up along the sides of roads on the weekends? Many of the ones that exist are eyesores-- I submit as evidence the area around Carmax on US1 (although Carmax itself is not an offender)
As a marketing measure, I hope this falls flat on its face. Because that's the way to assure that other businesses don't follow suit. And that's the only way to ensure against overly-legislating what should be a common-sense practice.
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