Signs are back in the paper again with Mr. John Snowden advising Currituck County officials of more illegal signs along roadways.

The bottom line is: the code in Currituck County states that signs for special events must be located on private property, not along state highways. The state law states signs cannot be put in the right-of-way of highways.

Josh Bass of the Currituck Chamber of Commerce, according to your newspaper, said in your Feb. 27 story that signs advertising a Chamber event were relocated, except for one that couldn’t be moved elsewhere. Mr. Ben Woody, the Currituck planning director, said the new permit process offers the county a chance to educate nonprofits and other organizations about where they can put signs. He predicted eventually the organizations will find proper locations for their signs. Mr. Bass said the Chamber is working with the county to make sure the business organization complies with the county regulation.

If the N.C. Department of Transportation has an issue with the signs, the agency will take them down, Bass said. But the issue is, if the signs are in violation, you are violating the law. It is not a game. Don’t think that you can get most of the signs in compliance. Get them all in compliance. Put the signs on private property or take them down.

The Chamber of Commerce needs to help make Currituck County a nice, attractive location by obeying the law.

RICK BOWLING
Moyock