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Public hearing set for Webster sign issue

By Rose Hooper
Webster Baptist Church asked Webster's town board to consider an amendment to the town's zoning ordinance pertaining to church signs.

The church would like to erect a permanent sign with a lettering area of 4 feet by 8 feet. But according to the town's zoning ordinance, a church is allowed one permanent sign not to exceed 16-square-feet per sign face and not more than 8 feet high.

At its meeting Feb. 10, the board decided to set a public hearing, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 9, one half hour before the regularly scheduled meeting. An amendment can be handled by the town board, Vice Mayor Steve Gray said. If the issue had been a special use permit, a variance or a complaint on a ruling by zoning administrator Jim Myers, then it would have to be considered by the town zoning board, Gray said.

At the town's Jan. 13 meeting, a contingency from the church asked the town for a variance for their current portable sign, which is out of compliance. Mayor Bob Baker told them that a variance could not be granted and asked them to submit an amendment instead.

At the January meeting, church member Pauline Ensley told the town that the issue may be a gray area dealing with church and state.

Town board member Louise Bedford said she contacted Geoffrey Willets with the state's Community Planning Department, and his response was, "There are only two kinds of signs - legal and illegal. He said the only gray area would be if we tried to tell them how to worship."

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