By TEDDY KULMALA
With the general election less than two months away, city zoning officials said they're having fewer problems than usual with improperly placed campaign signs; however, the problems may grow as Election Day draws nearer.
"Sometimes, it's gotten to where I spend a good bit of time just working the election campaign signs," said Tommy Paradise, a zoning official with the City of Aiken. "So far this year, it hasn't been that bad."
The city has several rules in place regulating the use of campaign signs, which state that campaign yard signs must not be placed inside the public street right-of-way; that campaign signs may not exceed 3 square feet in residential, planned residential, limited business or limited professional zoning districts and that campaign signs may not exceed 32 square feet in other areas of the city. There is no restriction on when election campaign signs may be erected, but they must be removed within 15 days after the election.
Paradise said the rule violated most often deals with signs placed inside the right-of-way.
"That's the biggest one," he said.
The right-of-way can usually be defined as being outside a line defined by water meters, the rule states. The line of utility poles is also a good marker but less accurate than the water meters.
Signs put up or left in the street right-of-way are removed by the city and placed behind the Department of Public Safety building for the candidate or a campaign representativae to retrieve.
"It's better for them to be brought here than just thrown in the trash," Sgt. Jake Mahoney, Aiken Public Safety Spokesperson, said. "That's why we continue to do it. We understand there's expense in the purchase and manufacture of signs, so the opportunity is here for them to come collect them if they want."
Paradise said that signs collected behind the Department of Public Safety remain there until after the election. On Tuesday, there were about a dozen metal and plastic campaign signs leaning against the fence and a large wooden real estate sign.
"There's other signs that are brought here from time to tome, sometimes advertisements or going-out-of-business sales," Mahoney said. "It's not just political signs. We don't target anyone."
Paradise said he sent an email to the county Republican and Democratic parties outlining the rules and asking them to forward them on to the candidates.
He said the problems will increase as the November elections creep closer and more 'outside people' come into the city.
"When you get the statewide campaigns and national campaigns that come in and blanket an area, sometimes they don't know the rules, or they're not as careful as the local people are," he said.
Adding to the confusion of enforcement are several areas that are close to the city but are really county territory, such as Silver Bluff Road from Williams Drive to Dougherty Road and some stretches of Hampton Avenue and Pine Log Road, Paradise said.
Rhonda Connelly, a county planner, said the county has its own set of rules for campaign signs. Like the city, the county's most commonly violated rule is the one regarding signs in right-of-ways.
Connelly said improperly placed county signs are brought back to the county office in Kalmia Plaza or taken to the campaigns that put them out.![]()
With the general election less than two months away, city zoning officials said they're having fewer problems than usual with improperly placed campaign signs; however, the problems may grow as Election Day draws nearer.
"Sometimes, it's gotten to where I spend a good bit of time just working the election campaign signs," said Tommy Paradise, a zoning official with the City of Aiken. "So far this year, it hasn't been that bad."
The city has several rules in place regulating the use of campaign signs, which state that campaign yard signs must not be placed inside the public street right-of-way; that campaign signs may not exceed 3 square feet in residential, planned residential, limited business or limited professional zoning districts and that campaign signs may not exceed 32 square feet in other areas of the city. There is no restriction on when election campaign signs may be erected, but they must be removed within 15 days after the election.
Paradise said the rule violated most often deals with signs placed inside the right-of-way.
"That's the biggest one," he said.
The right-of-way can usually be defined as being outside a line defined by water meters, the rule states. The line of utility poles is also a good marker but less accurate than the water meters.
Signs put up or left in the street right-of-way are removed by the city and placed behind the Department of Public Safety building for the candidate or a campaign representativae to retrieve.
"It's better for them to be brought here than just thrown in the trash," Sgt. Jake Mahoney, Aiken Public Safety Spokesperson, said. "That's why we continue to do it. We understand there's expense in the purchase and manufacture of signs, so the opportunity is here for them to come collect them if they want."
Paradise said that signs collected behind the Department of Public Safety remain there until after the election. On Tuesday, there were about a dozen metal and plastic campaign signs leaning against the fence and a large wooden real estate sign.
"There's other signs that are brought here from time to tome, sometimes advertisements or going-out-of-business sales," Mahoney said. "It's not just political signs. We don't target anyone."
Paradise said he sent an email to the county Republican and Democratic parties outlining the rules and asking them to forward them on to the candidates.
He said the problems will increase as the November elections creep closer and more 'outside people' come into the city.
"When you get the statewide campaigns and national campaigns that come in and blanket an area, sometimes they don't know the rules, or they're not as careful as the local people are," he said.
Adding to the confusion of enforcement are several areas that are close to the city but are really county territory, such as Silver Bluff Road from Williams Drive to Dougherty Road and some stretches of Hampton Avenue and Pine Log Road, Paradise said.
Rhonda Connelly, a county planner, said the county has its own set of rules for campaign signs. Like the city, the county's most commonly violated rule is the one regarding signs in right-of-ways.
Connelly said improperly placed county signs are brought back to the county office in Kalmia Plaza or taken to the campaigns that put them out.