In the meantime, this pesky poster got someone $25,000:
Posted on 06/17/2016 9:18:09 PM PDT by MarMema
A homemade Donald Trump campaign sign, 36 feet in the air in Traverse City.
Michael Witte put the sign up in his backyard about a month ago.
This week, he received a letter from the city zoning administrator about it.
9&10’s Caroline Powers and photojournalist Harrison Light have more details on the purpose of the sign and how the city is responding.
As we get closer to this year's presidential election many people are putting camp gain signs in their front yard, bumper stickers on their car, but one man is showing his support on whole new level. “Into January I was pretty well convinced that Donald Trump has a purpose to serve this country,” says Michael Witte.
Michael Witte says he’s never really been interested in politics, but this year was different. After looking into each candidate he decided Donald Trump was for him, and he wanted to show his support in a big way.
“Just got some plywood and sawed it out. I think they're six inches wide and three by three, and I just took some white paint and put some red paint on top,” Witte says. “Lot of people come by and take pictures. I've only had one woman that didn't like the Trump that voiced it to me.”
Not everyone in the neighborhood is happy about it. “It blocks the view of the beach and it's huge,” says Kendal Fifield. “So you could just stick with the normal sign that everyone else does and I think get your point across. I don't think it needs to be that large.”
The city says yard signs are limited to six-square-feet and 42-inches in height. So Witte’s needs to come down.
“Just the one T is probably 6-square-feet and it's on a 36-foot tall ladder so a little higher than 42-inches,” says Dave Weston, zoning administrator, City of Traverse City. “I'm happy with what happened here and I'm happy that when I take it down it'll still be seen or known,” Witte says. “I'll probably put a little bit of something up right here that's the right size.”
After the city contacted Witte this week, he did agree that the sign will come down on Sunday. The sign is located on the alley behind KFC, off of Front Street.
It ain't fair, I'm telling you, it just ain't fair...
I agree!!! It will be so amazing to have a President who actually reveres and enforces our Constitutional rights!!
& the World
That is 5 different political signs, all within the specs of 6 sq ft each, and smaller than 42 inches high. I would tell them to shove it, and get other Trump supporters together and pay any fine until Novembers victory.
That is a tall ladder.
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I once fell off a 40 foot ladder.
It didn’t hurt though, I was only on the first rung.
In the meantime, this pesky poster got someone $25,000:
I think the first amendment kicks in somewhere, like he should not have to take it down.
a camp gain sign?
My dad served two terms on the city commission in the late 60's and early 70's. It was he and a couple other members who changed the face of downtown forever. They were the ones who developed and implemented the plan for creating the "loop" downtown. Front St. one-way westbound and State St. one-way eastbound. Kids in my generation simply called it "The Gut".
Cruising "The Gut" was a big part of our weekend activities. When Michigan went to the 18-year old drinking age...well...you can imagine what that was like!
Why don’t you shut the shades? They are shut!
He should consider 5 individual signs the maximum size and place them on the roof of his garage......
LOL!
I was once on top of a 40 ft. ladder doing some painting. A guy rom some other trade was removing scaffolding near me and tossed a 2X12 off the scaffold. It hit my ladder. I almost got bounced off the ladder. I’ve never been so scared in my life.
Hysterically, the moron with the scaffold denied he tossed the board to the ground.
That ladder looks like an antenna mast
Call it a hunch, but I’d wager that if the sign said “OBAMA” the “city” would find it A-OK.
It does at first glance, but upon closer examination, it’s not diamond or triangle shaped which are standard designs for towers used by folks like Amateur radio operators. It’s a ladder.
On top of a 40’ ladder and having a plank hit the ladder, that is frightening. You are lucky and tough to have stayed on it.
Anything 32 feet and higher on a ladder is a bit freaky. As a painter myself, the worst thing we ever did to reach a spot was to set a 32’ up to the gutter/roof edge, then tied a 24’ ladder to the top so a guy could climb the metal 6/12 pitch roof to paint a dormer. A close second was tying two 8’ step ladders together at the top, then throwing them over the ridgeline so two painters could work dormers on either side. Labor and Industries would not have liked either trick, but when you are “point of the spear” in construction trades, you have to take a few chances.
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