Oak Lawn considers tightening rules on signs

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This is an example of the kind of sign that Oak Lawn Mayor Dave Heilmann would rather not see around the village. | Supplied photo

Updated: February 23, 2012 8:20AM

Temporary signs no longer would be allowed in Oak Lawn’s parkways, and unsightly permanent signs would draw fines if new rules for businesses are approved at Tuesday’s village board meeting.

The law also would require businesses that leave the village to remove their signs or be fined.

Property owners would be required to remedy sign problems if the village could not contact the business owner, Mayor Dave Heilmann said.

He said the temporary signs are popping up throughout the village — especially on major thoroughfares — and advertise a variety of businesses and services.

“They blow all over the place. The weather gets to them. They look terrible,” Heilmann said. “You always want to keep the standards of the community high.”

There also are several examples throughout Oak Lawn of stores that have gone out of business but did not remove their signs. In some cases, the signs have remained for several years, Heilmann said.

The proposed changes call for the village to give businesses or property owners a 30-day written notice to remove a sign. The village will remove the sign or fine the owner if the notice is disregarded.

“We have to have an ordinance that is tighter,” Heilmann said. “We can’t look the other way.”

The ordinance calls for fines of no more than $750 on an existing business that does not remedy sign violations within 21 days of receiving a notice. Violations may include faded signs or burned-out bulbs, Heilmann said.

He added that the ordinance is designed to work with businesses.

“The idea is not to be penal in nature,” he said.