Council: property owner must remove signs

 

Last updated 10/28/2020 at 9:03am

Signs on an iron fence bring in money to keep up the lot at Main and Spokane Way, which the owner wants to use for community events, but they violate city code, the town council said. - Jacob Wagner photo

The Grand Coulee City Council voted last week against allowing a local man to keep several small billboards on his property on Main Street.

Sam Hsieh owns "Coulee Plaza," a lot with grass and picnic tables overlooking the end of Main Street where he has hosted events ranging from Cars & Coffee to Koulee Kids Fest activities and more, and where he hopes to host live music, wine tastings, and more in the future. 

Helping pay for the maintenance of the lot is advertising money that comes from signs hanging along the fence that line the property.

But a complaint received by city hall prompted officials to ask Hsieh to take the signs down, citing them as being against city code.

City Code Chapter 17.60 says that only one freestanding sign is allowed for single-occupancy buildings, as well as for multiple offices or businesses within a structure or planned commercial/industrial park.


However, Hsieh's lot has neither a building nor multiple offices or businesses. So in a letter addressed to the council, he asked them to consider if the code really applies to his situation.

The letter states that the property is Hsieh's way of giving back to the community, and giving people a place to gather, and that removal of the signs would mean upkeep of the property would be too expensive.

Hsieh was under the impression when he bought the property that having signs along the fence, like they had been for years before he bought it, was fine. 

"It's a shame it went to him without his enlightenment on that," Mayor Paul Townsend said at the Oct. 20 meeting, saying that the signs clearly weren't allowed according to the code. 

"He bought this with the intention of benefiting the community," Councilmember Gary Carriere said, "and he's being punished for it. I understand it's in the code, but it's not sitting right with me."

The council discussed that allowing one person to stray from the code would mean others would want to do the same.

"It's unfortunate, but it's in black and white," Councilmember Mike Horne said. "There's nothing we can do about it."

The council voted 3-1 not to allow the signs, with Carriere voting against the motion, and Councilmember Tamara Byers abstaining from the vote. 

Byers didn't say why she abstained but works at Coulee Medical Center where Hsieh is a doctor and chief medical officer.

"It just rubs me the wrong way," Carriere said. "You don't see a lot of people doing things just strictly for the benefit of the community. I would like to see other options."

City Clerk Lorna Pearce said the only other option is to change the code.

 
 

Reader Comments(1)

Bob VALEN writes:

It's interesting that prior to current owner of the property, the past owner wasn't asked to remove the signs.

 
 
 

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