Let's talk about signs.

WHEREAS, the parks, medians, traffic islands and rights-of-way of the Town of Greenwich belong to all of its residents, who deserve to enjoy their green space without being bombarded by private billboards and advertisements placed on public property; and

WHEREAS, the steady accumulation of private signs on public land degrades the natural beauty and character of our Town, crowds out the plantings and amenities that taxpayers have paid to create, and turns land that belongs to everyone into free advertising space for whoever posts the most signs; and

WHEREAS, signs placed at intersections, on traffic islands and along roadsides can obstruct sight lines and distract drivers, creating hazards for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians; and

WHEREAS, Town employees must spend time and public funds finding, collecting and disposing of signs that are placed, abandoned or left to deteriorate on Town property; and

WHEREAS, the Town's current rules on private signs on public property are inconsistently enforced and are less strict than those of other Connecticut towns; and

WHEREAS, any rule the Town adopts should apply equally to every private sign, regardless of its message or sponsor, while leaving private property and every other channel open for speech; and

WHEREAS, signs left on public property after their purpose has passed are litter, and a careful study would help the Town choose the best approach;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that it is the sense of the Representative Town Meeting of the Town of Greenwich that the Board of Selectmen should study the placement of private signs on property owned or controlled by the Town and report its findings and options to the Representative Town Meeting; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the options studied should include a flat, content-neutral prohibition of private signs on Town property, with limited exemptions for government signs and Town-approved event signs, along with other approaches; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study should also consider treating signs placed in violation as litter, with prompt removal and a reasonable civil penalty; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Selectmen is requested to report to the Representative Town Meeting no later than the June 14, 2027 meeting and, if it concludes that an ordinance is warranted, to bring a draft ordinance for the Representative Town Meeting's consideration.

Explanatory memorandum

This non-binding resolution asks the Board of Selectmen to study private signs on Town-owned property and to report options to the RTM. It asks that a flat ban be among the options considered. It does not itself call for a ban.

Greenwich today. Sec. 6-166(e) of the Building Zone Regulations (Division 16, Signs) prohibits signs in the public right of way, with exceptions for government, utility and certain organizational signs, and allows confiscation of nonconforming signs. It does not clearly cover parks, medians and other Town land, and it is not consistently enforced against commercial signs. The Election Related Campaign Signs Policy, effective October 4, 2021, allows campaign signs on public property with no limit on number, size or how close together they are placed, and requires their removal within 48 hours after the election. The result is clutter on traffic islands, medians, parks and rights-of-way, sight-line hazards at intersections, and Town staff time spent collecting signs.

Other Connecticut towns. Wethersfield bans signs in the right-of-way and on Town-owned property by ordinance (Town Code Chapter 123), with removal and a $100 citation for each violation; its Zoning Regulations (§ 6.3.E.4 and 6.3.G.1.g) allow only government signs and temporary signs approved by the Town Manager. Bethel (Zoning Regulations § 118-6.3) prohibits signs in street rights-of-way, on utility poles and traffic-control devices, and on street trees. Stratford (Zoning Regulations § 6.11.4) requires Town Council approval for temporary non-commercial signs on public property or in the public right-of-way. Fairfield has stated publicly that yard signs, including campaign, business and non-profit event signs, are not permitted on Town property. Each is stricter than Greenwich for temporary and campaign signs on public property.

Litter. Connecticut law prohibits littering on public property, and signs left on public property after their purpose has passed may reasonably be treated as litter.

Next steps. If the Board concludes that an ordinance is warranted, it would return to the RTM for committee review and a vote, with a second reading unless that rule is suspended.