Crime Watch: Keep an eye out for stolen Cafe Rozella signs

| Crime | West Seattle news | WS beverages

This just out of the WSB inbox from Cafe Rozella owner Ricardo Guarnero:

We had two sandwich-board signs stolen last night. One was on Roxbury and Delridge, the other one was on Delridge next to Center Tool Rental. They both say Cafe Rozella and have a cup logo and an arrow on them. One was 4 feet high and the other was 5 feet high. I know that this is small potatoes compared to what other crime victims encounter but for a small business like ours it really hurts. I’m hoping some punks just dumped them by the side of the road and hope that somebody sees them.

Cafe Rozella’s address/phone info is at the bottom of its home page. (It’s on the southeast edge of West Seattle, shortly before Delridge meets Roxbury.)

Aidan Hadley March 18, 2008 (9:33 am)

This may not have been pranksters or vandals. Aren’t such signs on public property illegal? The City or maybe some local vigilante may have removed them.

WSB March 18, 2008 (9:39 am)

Not necessarily, according to city code.

changingtimes March 18, 2008 (9:49 am)

HADLEY! what a debbie downer!! why so rude to the poor man who is feeling violated enough.

Vincent March 18, 2008 (10:29 am)

I remember this being an issue on the east side years back, and the revised laws that the state came up with was they were allowed, but they aren’t explicitly considered property, you know, cause they are on the street.

Its cool if you want to put your boards out to make your business noticed, but getting surprised by someone driving by late and deciding they would make a better doghouse/shed/skate ramp because you failed to reclaim your property is a little self righteous.

JimmyG March 18, 2008 (11:07 am)

Cafe Rozella pulls an excellent shot of espresso.
I wish I lived closer, or could justify changing my route to pick up an Americano there more often.

Bummer about the signs, everyone check the other side of signs that you see advertising garage sales and such–that’s where the business sandwich board signs sometimes end up.

Aidan Hadley March 18, 2008 (11:37 am)

changingtimes: I wasn’t rude. Just asking the question because I remember all of the discussion about West Water’s signs everywhere.

TeaLady March 18, 2008 (11:48 am)

Even if the city had a complaint, they wouldn’t just take the signs…they’d cite the business. That’s pretty lousy that someone swiped them. Those things are NOT cheap!!!

gwen c. March 18, 2008 (2:55 pm)

Yeah, Aidan Hadley, those were decidedly noncomforming signs for West Water, including in some very specific places proscribed by SMC 23.55.042 at (B). There were also issues of saturation as found at SMC 23.55.012 at (A).

Since the Rozella signs are by nature not permanent (you could pick them up and move them, as evidenced by their removal) and furthermore not in violation of any element of the Sign Code (SMC 23.55 inclusive of all parts and subchapters) and don’t present a physical obstruction, so far as i’ve seen, they’re certainly okay to my eyes and most likely to the City of Seattle’s eyes.

Hope they come back soon, though…

Flavian March 19, 2008 (12:34 pm)

Wasn’t aware that sidewalk sandwich boards were legal in West Seattle, for details see: http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/economicdevelopment/biz_district_guide/biz_dist_pages/sandwich_boards.htm

LMA March 26, 2008 (9:06 am)

Ya isnâ€™t it funny how they took only the 2 Rozella signs and left everyone else signs there looks like some one is targeting the Cafe, someone that is not happy with them for some reason, I know that the sign have been there for about 3 yrs and now they are gone, not nice!!! that is sad someone needs to stoop so low, What a sham.

Sorry, comment time is over.