Business & Tech

Sidewalk Sign Enforcement Rattles Some Wayne Business Owners

A Radnor Township ordinance against the use of signs like sandwich boards used by many retailers has been enforced in recent weeks.

Radnor Township has received complaints about portable signs on the sidewalks of downtown Wayne prompting it to start enforcing its code, which prohibits them.

Many of the signs, commonly called “sandwich boards” alert passers-by of sales and daily offerings. At the end of 2012, many retailers in Wayne received a warning from Radnor code officials that the signs are not allowed.

Jaime Whitcomb, owner of Red Mango, told Radnor Patch that the signs drive much-needed impulse traffic to small businesses. She puts her stand-along sign right next to the parking meter in front of her store.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

“Small business owners need to promote their businesses in many different ways… Signage is one of them,” Whitcomb said.

Radnor has extensive regulations for the signage within its borders. Kevin Kochanski, director of Radnor’s community development department, said that over the summer the township received several complaints about the signs. 

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Just recently, Kochanski also said he received two voicemails from a man claiming he was a business owner, but did not leave his name, complaining about signage. His issue, Kochanski paraphrased, was the visual clutter (as opposed to any safety hazard) of the signs.

He said that code officials are not aggressively enforcing the sign ordinance, but rather are notifying businesses when they see an illegal signs. No citations have been issued, despite that some continue to put out signs.

“We do our best to work the residents and business within the limitations of the code to achieve compliance and only issue citations as a last resort,” Kochanski said. Any movement to change the code would have to come from the township’s Board of Commissioners.

What do you think about this? Are these signs visual pollution or a necessity for small businesses? Tell us by commenting below.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here