Banner ban

On one of the e-mail lists where we lurk, list members were forwarded a plea from the folks who oversee farmers’ markets citywide. Please get the word out about the West Seattle Winter Farmers’ Markets (10 am-1 pm on Sunday), was the main point. Fine, we’ll do our part. But here’s the startling part of the e-mail:

We have little yard signs out about the community and sandwich boards that we put out on Sundays – but we can no longer put any banners on the Fauntleroy overpass because the City of Seattle forbids it.

So is that what happened to the big yellow banner, clearly well-maintained, and taken down soon after each week’s WSFM? Not even OK for advertising this type of city-condoned event? Seems kind of grinchy, at the very least.

Eric January 25, 2007 (8:22 am)

Just another day in hizzoner’s utopia.

Sue January 25, 2007 (9:28 am)

We just moved to West Seattle last March, and that banner was how we learned that WS had a farmers market. What a shame that they are not allowed to advertise anymore like that. We love the farmers market and are there every weekend. Even though it’s nearly empty now, we try to go every week so that we can give support to them and let more vendors know that there is interest in this “off season.”

ML January 25, 2007 (9:37 am)

We miss being able to get fresh-roasted chili peppers–anyone know why that vendor is no longer there? We’d be frequent fliers for sure if they were there!

Forest January 25, 2007 (11:36 am)

Advertising banners and semi-permanent (versus night-of-the-game or day-of-the election) messages on pedestrian overpasses or across traffic lanes were outlawed in Seattle over twenty years ago. As I understand it, they were falling on passing cars, and were determined to be safety hazards and commercial misuse of the public right of way.

Lisa January 25, 2007 (11:50 am)

As a west seattle native for over 40 years, the Fauntleroy overpass has become ‘the place’ to get the word out for many years, but it is illegal. I am a neighbor of the overpass and our neighborhood has had several work parties to remove years of unsightly tape, wire, rope, zip-tys, paper and plastic. The amount of garbage at the bottom of each side of the structure is alarming.

I love the Farmers Market! But, we do need to come up with a better way other than the overpass to get the word out!

Keith January 25, 2007 (2:35 pm)

I’m all for the Farmer’s Market, but I kind of like seeing more random, personal and temporary messages up there than just the same banner all the time.

Plus they get a regular appearance on the well-trafficked electronic message board by Taco Time/Rain– sorry, STARBUCKS.

Cindi January 28, 2007 (8:54 pm)

Not sure if we have the whole story on the banner and over-pass. I once heard Kay Knapton, formerly with the Junction Business Improvement Association, say that banners could go up on the overpass, but they had to get a permit from the city (and pay a fee, and comply with I’m sure many restrictions). That was less than 2 years ago. So I’m not sure if people don’t know how to get the permit or if something has changed since then.

Sorry, comment time is over.