WM council wants old sign torn down

WM council wants old sign torn down

New owner of former Dick Moore site says he has plans for it

news@theeveningtimes.com

West Memphis City Council dispatched business quickly during the final May meeting.

Bids were opened. One for infield dirt work at Tilden Rodgers Park was referred back to the Parks Department to finalize the award.

A vote affirmed city funds for its share of a match against 80 percent funding to fix the Hino Road Bridge. Marion and West Memphis both were expected to put 10 percent toward the reconstruction.

Demolition bids were opened for the planning department and community development.

The meeting was fast but proved not easy when a citizen approached council with a complicated concern over a sign listed for demolition.

Businessman Vernon Turk approached City Council during the citizens request portion of the meeting to ask the city to put off tearing down the big sign on 3106 East Broadway for Moore Mobile Home Sales. He wanted to use the skyscraper landmark for his new flea market located there. Turk asserted the sign was on his property under an old easement agreement and violated terms of the agreement because the sign wasn’t maintained and the Moore business appeared to be inactive.

“From our perspective this sign is on our property but it is an easement dedicated to Mr. Moore in 1974,” said Turk. “I contacted an attorney to let Moore know we considered the easement abandoned. He was to do two things to have the easement there. He was to do business there at all times and to maintain the sign. If either one of those disappeared we could take the property back. Now that you (the city) sent this letter saying it is dilapidated and going to be torn down I have some ammunition for Moore because he is not maintaining the sing. We just want to use that sign.”

After Turk expressed desires to use the sign for the flea market, he indicated he was in a legal tangle over it with Moore.

Some on City Council voiced opposition to save the sign under any conditions. The tall sign no longer conforms with the sign ordinance and Councilors Brenda Harris labeled it an eyesore.

I live over there and see that sign everyday,” said Harris. “It is ugly. Why would you even want to keep it? It does not fit with the way we do signs anymore.”

Councilor Willis Mondy noted the fact that the sign had been condemned and bid for demolition and asked the City Planner Paul Luker for input.

“Other tall signs have come down along Broadway so what’s the problem?” asked Mondy.

“When a business ceases to exist they have 60 days to remove all signs,” said Luker. “Not to long after Moore went out of business we went through a similar action and condemned the sign. We had some back and forth over some gray area at that time about how long they had been out of business. So we didn’t follow through at that time.”

Since then the city has made strides to revamp the city’s main strip according to Luker.

“Looking at trying to revitalize East Broadway, this came back on the radar. It’s been compounded by the fact that the sign is not actually on Moore’s property,” replied Luker.

“That’s why we sent a notice to both Mr. Moore and Mr. Turk.”

Councilman Tracy Catt took a wait and see approach. He noted the private legal squabble over the sign and suggested demolition be put on hold pending review by the Design Review Commission (DRC).

“That sign is no longer conforming,” noted Councilor Tracy Catt. “If we could reduce city liability exposure that would be great. This could be referred back to the DRC.”

As City council pondered their vote before approving new sign considerations, Mayor Bill Johnson issued a warning to Turk calling him by his first name.

“Vernon, just to be honest with you this thing has been going on for eight or ten years and there won’t be much leeway if it comes back in here,” said Johnson. “You need to show substantial progress and satisfy the DRC sooner rather than later.”

By John Rech