IS IT TRUE November 29, 2013
IS IT TRUE that the power brokers of the City of Evansville could be a little miffed about the vibrant West Franklin Street association and all the activities that take place without the involvement of city government?…sicking the sign dogs over those street signs is a bit over the top and is yet another example of selective enforcement in open practice as ordered by local government?…The Arts Council of Southwest Indiana frequently puts one of these signs outside of its Innovation Pointe base retail outlet?…we guess they must have invested in one of the permits that cost nearly$400 per merchant per year?….we wonder if the coffers of the sign taxers are being filled by other downtown Evansville businesses like Piece of Cake that routinely uses sidewalk story boards to advertise their daily offerings?….they really have had some great activities on West Franklin Street that seem to be the envy of the sign police who take their orders from the “downtown Evansville is Evansville†crowd in the Civic Center?…maybe they should do a little PR and invite Mayor Winnecke across the Pigeon Creek to light the Christmas tree next year?
IS IT TRUE that one Downtown business operator who has been vocal in his efforts to start a merchants’ association was sent a message that it wouldn’t happen without the involvement of DMD, GAGE or the Chamber of Commerce? … this job creating business man just laughed at the thought of being forced to use these groups whose job it is to help merchants to actually do so?…this man has a very colorful description of how the message was delivered?…he hated to see the holiday parade and other activities off-loaded by GAGE and immediately moved out of the downtown area?…while we understand that there needs to be some rules with regard to signage the idea that government has the audacity to use the Area Planning Commission to extract  fines and fee permits from businesses is totally unexceptable…we expect and encourage the Evansville City Council to come out against such tactics and continue their leadership role in injecting sanity into the day to day governance of Evansville?
IS IT TRUE that today is Black Friday and across America people are poised to fight with each other over plastic trinkets to give to their relatives to celebrate the Christmas season?…some stores jumped the gun and were filled with shoppers yesterday to gain a slight edge on other Christmas shoppers?…this happened on Thanksgiving, a day that we have historically reflected on the bounty of the past year and basked in the love of family and friends to come together for a feast?…we guess this is progress but do prefer the old ways of all family and no shopping on Thanksgiving Day?…even President Obama was in marketing mode in trying to co-op Thanksgiving to get people to discuss the reasons to sign up for ObamaCare?…Sunday is the day that the website is supposed to work and we suspect its burden will be low because during the Wednesday news dump the small business mandate was delayed until after next year’s elections?…the website will also get an easy workout Sunday because the administration is actually encouraging people to stay away?…this is a far cry from the claims of “working like Amazon†that were coming from the White House at the October 1st debut before the fiasco of technical incompetence was exposed?…it is now 10:15 am CST and today Amazon in a mere 10 hours has already successfully handled more customers than the federal exchanges have in 60 days?…we shall see how things go for the Einstein’s in the Obama Administration come Sunday?…the odds are quite low that things will work this time?
You know, west Franklin street looks like the downtown of many small towns here in the USA, how about we give up on everything south of the civic center and make west Franklin street Evansville’s defacto downtown, it has everything going for it that a thriving downtown should have without the millions upon millions of taxpayers investment.
JMHO
Does anyone have an Bed and Breakfast operation on Walbash Avenue? Homes There look to be right for that type of venue to an out of town visitor.
I guess the present hotel locations are sufficient for extended visit demands there. Could be something the projected hotel Downtown might promote for Evansville food and entertainment businesses as well.
Looking from afar, those locations just are not that separated for customer accessibility with your visible present logistics infrastructures.
The Evansville Green-way project if used as a whole area attraction really does specify that concept for urban vibrancy and nice outdoor activities. Its a plus district, and community based attraction. It should build and highlight with the trail as a featured attraction to retail and entertainment growth moved forward.
That Green-way is a “viable sustainability plus” activity for the whole community if marketed and developed with sequestration applications in mind.
The tie in to other locations, and each districts separated theme improves the overall experience offered to any group of visitors when presented as a whole community unit. I mean really why does a bank build branches anyhow.
Speaking of that I just observed an article specifically noting banking operations and carbon foot print incentives. The European bank is looking into developing customer based carbon reduction credits administered by the banks business operation, things mentioned were,credits applied for walk in service verses sitting in an drive through line,and credit back for the on line paperless customer contact. Even credits on viable carbon sequestered products bought with serviced credit applications,when one adds up the carbon reduction for those otherwise unattended activities alone it becomes apparent just what a sequestration program through a everyday banking service can impact.
BTW the bank itself can claim the percentage for its whole carbon foot print through the advanced innovative application to identify and solve the climate change issue globally.
Think of the bite,one large banking operation could take out of the carbon foot print picture just with a simple customer based user function, “actually moved forward.”
“Free good stuff, for a whole area,someone please conceive and apply.”
Socialists hate other people’s success, except for the tax revenue it generates.
Lets stop putting tax money in the downtown rat hole and invest in the Wests Franklin Street area we can get the most bang for the buck.
Or how about let people keep their own money so they can invest it wherever they choose instead of trusting local government to make wise equally beneficial decisions with it. Novel idea, huh.
This sign thing is being overblown. The warnings were sent by one over-zealous enforcement agent. This isn’t some grand conspiracy to promote downtown. To think that anyone at the Civic Center wants Franklin Street to fail is silly.
I tend to agree with you on this that there is not a conspiracy, but the CCO editor is also 100% accurate about the statement “The Arts Council of Southwest Indiana frequently puts one of these signs outside of its Innovation Pointe base retail outlet” On that same street (Main Street) I know I have seen a lot of sidewalk signs, but no idea if any of those signs have been accused of violating local signs rules.
I think all signs and businesses in Evansville should be treated equally and fairly. If there is a rule on signs, then get a permit or convince City Council to change permit rules.
You cannot blame code enforcement for doing their jobs. We spent a week arguing over lack of attention on areas of town that are “blight”, so I find it hard to see how we can now argue that code enforcement is doing too much of their job.
Cleaning up town and making Evansville pretty is not easy, but you have to start somewhere. I know that “picking” on the signs on west Franklin Street has been unpopular, but has anyone actually talked to the people who are doing the code enforcement about how many sign violations they have given out all over Evansville in 2013? Without those sort of numbers we are accusing people without facts.
I also noticed on one of the local news sites that the businesses on Franklin just got a letter of warning, not an actual fine, and that the letter also told them the process for applying for a sign permit within the rules. We all want people in town to follow the rules for making the town look better, right? Are we in favor of community rules or complete anarchy when it comes to allowing people to put up signs? Kinda like places that have multiple (and large) stupid “Going Out Of Business” or “Sale” banners plastered everywhere that seem to stay up and fade into tattered ugliness in Evansville.
KnowNothing makes a good point that to blame the Mayor or other elected officials sounds like some concerted conspiracy against Franklin Street, and I am not thinking that would be done. If that was being done there would be no way to keep that a secret (especially not at our Civic Center), and there would be a huge price to pay on whoever ordered it. The code enforcement officer is probably just another faceless employee of local government, and I cannot imagine them going along with the X-File theory that Franklin Street is being punished to “help” downtown. That is just making out schemes and collusion where I seriously doubt it should be. I seriously doubt the “sign police” that the CCO editor describes is “envious” of the signs on Franklin Street.
The sad point is that the signs on Franklin are being punished because there have been people in the past that abuse how many signs they can have. A single sign on a sidewalk on Franklin is probably no problem. But what about a business that has 2,3, 4 or 5 (or more) signs scattered around the sidewalk in front of any business in town? How big can a sidewalk sign be? How many signs become “too many”? How many sidewalk signs do you allow before they become a hazard? Where do you draw the line?
Things to think about.
You might be on to something there,”classy” the tasteful or ornate theme of the “temporary outside signs” is what supports the presentation of the story board timing per those locations.
Around the rest of the planet that seems to become the primary driver of whether something is presentable or obstructive.
What ever the common council and the Mayors office decides to suggest,it should be along the same guidelines followed for the entire county as well.
During travels around Evansville along with other areas the “most intrusive signage” I have ever witnessed is the “campaign signage clustered” leading up to election days.
Worst perceived violation I ever witnessed was in your town in 2012,the “political signs” were clustered almost completely around a small tavern bar type venue. Its kind of dumpy looking place anyhow,passed the place on election day,while your polls were open,the place also had a cobbled outside smoking area as many do. The complete and utter violation was the fact that several patrons were outside smoking, but also drinking beer from bottles while your local polls were still open.
I don’t cast my votes for your towns politics,however if I did, someone would have had an national level news crew for company there before the polls closed for sure. You might try to curtail those “signage located activities” in the future,We did film that while stopped in traffic,what was the use though really? Found out later from some local people the place is less than a mile from one of the wards polling places, as well.
So what would have been the point? However,the names on the “signs clustered” all around that place still lurk about the political scene there as elected office holding representatives.
That “sign stuff”,one must imagine wouldn’t have met with those candidates approval either, had they known about “those signs,and the timing” of the activity per location behind them.
This was not on Franklin street,or Main street either.
Letting that evaporate,maybe the classy thing to do, I suppose.
I agree with you on this. I have been in many meetings and discussions with people in city government and everyone is excited and proud of the new excitement that FSEA and the business owners have brought to West Franklin St. I don’t know who is responsible for the notices of non-compliance, but I bet it wasn’t cleared through very many desks in the Civic Center.
There will be a pro gay marriage rally on December 3, 2013 at the Holiday Inn Airport. Area gays are encouraged to attend, while wearing their most flamboyant attire and socializing with brawny, muscular Pit weighlifters. Great food and conversation, social time begins at 6pm, dinner at 7pm. Show your support for gay marriage along side the The Pit Barbell Club’s Hall of Flame Ceremony, and kiss the ring of the Reverend Jim Jones of Evansville weightlifting. !!! Ticket’s on sale for $30 at The Pit Barbell Club.
Anyone heard the status on the hotel financing?
as an avid visitor to both downtown and franklin street, ill say this. franklin street as a whole has got their ish together, compared to downtown with all the politics and infighting, the people on the westside work together more and better to keep things fresh and fun.
What rate applies to the car dealers putting up their inflatables? Any cost per square foot for that signage? (What’s on Your Lawn?). I’m sure someone would argue those giant balloon characters aren’t signs.
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