UPDATE: City Reverses Course, Sign Allowed to Stay Up

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Updated: 6:01 PM Oct 6, 2011 UPDATE: City Reverses Course, Sign Allowed to Stay Up A homeowner who earlier this week was ordered by the City of Charlottesville to take down a sign attached to a fence outside his house can now keep it up. Posted: 4:09 PM Oct 6, 2011 Reporter: Frankie Jupiter Email Address: frankie.jupiter@newsplex.com

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October 6, 2011

A homeowner who earlier this week was ordered by the City of Charlottesville to take down a sign attached to a fence outside his house can now keep it up.

Spokesman Ric Barrick confirmed to CBS19 that the City has reversed course on the legality of Paul Smith's "worship your faith not your politics" sign, saying the inspector was incorrect in citing the sign as a violation of a zoning ordinance.

Smith received a letter that claimed the sign was in violation of zoning ordinance 34-1047, which restricts signs in residential areas from being greater than one square foot in size.

However, the zoning administrator determined the zoning code referred to in the letter is not applicable Smith's sign.

Smith told CBS19 on Monday that he's had the sign up outside his Rose Hill Drive home since August 2010.

Latest Comments

Posted by: Don on Oct 8, 2011 at 10:18 AM

This is not misguided P.C. Gert. It is called Property Rights. Property Rights are something that are unique and our founding fathers included them in our founding documents. We are not a "collective", if that is what you seek, take a boat to Cuba.

Posted by: Gert Location: neighbor on Oct 7, 2011 at 05:37 PM

What kind of zoning code is it that doesn't protect citizens from a tasteless, commercial-looking sign that defaces the neighborhood and threatens property values, especially combined with an inappropriate metal shed and a generally messy yard. Shame on the spinelessness of city officials who seem to have caved in to some kind of misguided "political correctness." I guess "Dont' Tread on Me" (a flag that also adorns the yard) wins out over "Let's try to make a better neighborhood."

Posted by: Don Location: Albemarle on Oct 7, 2011 at 08:56 AM

This has been an amusing drama. As far as the location of the sign, it is way off the beaten track. Believe me when I say that there are much better ways to get from Preston to rt250 than by Paul's house. So now the intelect of C'ville order him to take his sign down for P.C. reasons only to do a 180. The laughable part is now Paul Smiths message has gotten free press and I can read it as I type this. SWEET!

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