Bailey’s Crossroads/Seven Corners group urges crackdown on illegal signs
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| Signs in the right of way, like this one in Wilson Boulevard, are prohibited. |
The Board of Directors of the Bailey’s Crossroads/Seven Corners Revitalization Corporation (BC7RC), increasingly frustrated by the
proliferation of illegal signs and litter in the area, has formally asked
Fairfax County and Virginia Department of Transportation officials to take action.
“A significant number of signage ordinance violators are
repeat offenders,” states a letter from
the BC7RC board to Jeff Blackford, director of the Fairfax County Department of Code Compliance (DCC), and Lauren Mollerup, VDOT transportation and land use
director for Arlington and Fairfax Counties. “Numerous entities receive notices
of violation and/or were informed of regulations by DCC staff but continue to
violate the law,” the letter states.
While the February 2013 agreement between Fairfax County and
VDOT to use work crews from the county’s Sherriff Department’s Community Labor Force
to collect signs from the VDOT right of way is a good start, BC7RC believes it
doesn’t go far enough. For one thing, it only operates Tuesdays through Fridays.
VDOT to use work crews from the county’s Sherriff Department’s Community Labor Force
to collect signs from the VDOT right of way is a good start, BC7RC believes it
doesn’t go far enough. For one thing, it only operates Tuesdays through Fridays.
The BC7RC letter, signed by the group’s president, Brian Van
de Mueulebroeke, and other board members, urges DCC and VDOT to initiate a pilot program focusing on educating businesses about illegal signage and
stepping up enforcement in the Bailey’s Crossroads, Culmore, and Seven Corners
areas. They call for increased inspections, including inspections on weekends.
de Mueulebroeke, and other board members, urges DCC and VDOT to initiate a pilot program focusing on educating businesses about illegal signage and
stepping up enforcement in the Bailey’s Crossroads, Culmore, and Seven Corners
areas. They call for increased inspections, including inspections on weekends.
“Should education fail to achieve appreciable results,” the
letter states, “corrective action, including fines, should be implemented to
deter continued code violations.”
letter states, “corrective action, including fines, should be implemented to
deter continued code violations.”
Enforcement should include maximum fines for repeat
offenders “and additional remedial measures for egregious cases,” BC7RC states.
The board urges corrective action against entities that post “we buy junk cars”
and similar signs on utility poles and corrective measures to deter panhandling,
which encourages litter.
offenders “and additional remedial measures for egregious cases,” BC7RC states.
The board urges corrective action against entities that post “we buy junk cars”
and similar signs on utility poles and corrective measures to deter panhandling,
which encourages litter.
Neither DCC nor VDOT has as yet responded to the BC7RC letter.
Interesting example that you use in your photo, that sign pretty clearly violates the Virginia Consumer Protection Act's provision on mortgage rescue services…
I'm very sick of the "we buy junk cars" signs that are peppered on telephone poles all over Annandale, Alexandria, Fairfax. I reported them to our District Supervisor Penny Gross' office a year or more ago and they said there was nothing that could be done….I thought Virginia had a litter law….and the phone number is all over these posted signs so the people making this litter can be easily identified. It's unsightly, trashy and amounts to a littering problem as far as I'm concerned.
"…and they said there was nothing that could be done…" Apparently you're not a Lake Barcroft resident.
Some folks go overboard when pulling some signs out of the ground – with many residential properties, the right of way starts at the curb; often, but not always, the right of way does not extend onto the strip between the curb and the sidewalk and the sidewalk is not always in the right of way. Often the sidewalk is part of an easement designated for that purpose – the homeowner is responsible for cutting the grass and keeping the sidewalk clear (OF THINGS LIKE SNOW AND ICE). On private property, easements don't extend to placing signs but its the property owner's responsibility to remove signs that are on his/her property without authorization from the owner – not just anybody going nuts about signs all over.
Join the movement. See a sign remove a sign. Take the problem in hand and make the community better.
Yes, great idea, everyone please remove a sign when you see it, especially the "We buy cars"! I have called the We buy cars number a couple of times to ask them to stop and the person who answers just says sure or play dumb. It never stops. I know we can win if we join together.
Next we can work on stopping the proliferation of payday loan places. They are on every block in Seven Corners.
"Next we can work on stopping the proliferation of payday loan places."
Market forces at play. They're just meeting demand.
No, they're inducing demand. For an extremely dangerous product.