Oak Lawn gets tough 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 27, 2012 10:00AM

Temporary signs are no longer allowed on Oak Lawn’s parkways, and obsolete and abandoned signs will be subject to fines under a new ordinance approved Tuesday night by the village board.

“When we looked through (the current ordinance), it needed a lot of tightening up,” Mayor Dave Heilmann said.

The changes take effect March 1, which gives the village time to notify the business community about them.

The ordinance requires businesses that leave the village to remove their signs within 30 days or face a fine of up to $750, and business owners also are limited to placing one temporary sign on the pole of a permanent outdoor sign.

Property owners will be held responsible for removing the signs if the business owner cannot be contacted, Heilmann said.

He gave a brief presentation Tuesday night that included photos of signs that remained for several months after a business left the village.

“If you ever drive through a neighborhood that looks shabby, you see a lot of this,” the mayor said.

The ordinance also requires existing businesses to maintain their signs or face fines. Businesses would get a 21-day notice before being fined for violations such as failing to replace bulbs in illuminated signs or replacing weathered or faded signs, according to the ordinance.

“The idea is not to be Big Brother,” Heilmann said.