Slow market or not, those 'for sale' signs simply won't do
"For Sale" signs are the new sandwich boards.
That's the message from Boston officials, who say a rise in complaints regarding "For Sale" signs violating the guidelines outlined by the Back Bay Architectural Commission, which reviews proposed exterior changes to local buildings, represents the latest advertising issue in a neighborhood known for strict regulations on signage.
"The issue isn't that there should not be signs, the issue is how big the signs are and how long they should be out there," said state Representative Marty Walz, a Democrat from the Back Bay, adding that she approached the city last month after receiving nearly a dozen complaints about the signs over the past year and a half. "The city should enforce the laws regarding the signs."
Greg Vasil, chief executive of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, which has been working with city officials to raise awareness of the guidelines with local real estate brokers, said it's likely people are more sensitive about the signs because "the properties have been on the market a little bit longer, whereas it wasn't that long ago that the suburbs were slowing down and the city was still moving quickly.
"It's not like people are hanging laundry out the window," Vasil said. "Seriously, it's a 'For Sale' sign, because you've got properties you're trying to sell. We live in a highly technological age, and yet sometimes the simplest form of advertising can be one of the most effective."
Bryan Glascock, director of the city's Environment Department, which oversees the architectural commission, had a different take.
"It's not like people get in their car and go for a drive around the Back Bay to see if anything is for sale," Glascock said. "They go through brokers and they look online. It's not doing anybody any good to have these signs up."
RICHARD THOMPSON 