Several Red Bank eateries, like Pizza Fusion and No Ordinary Joe, both on Broad Street, placed signs outside their businesses after the Borough Council approved a trial ordinance allowing sandwich-board signs on sidewalks. JACQUELINE HLAVENKA RED BANK — Sandwich-board signs will be making their way back onto the sidewalks of the downtown this month.

The Red Bank Borough Council passed an ordinance by a vote of 5-1 on July 12 granting permission for business owners and organizations to place signs on sidewalks in front of their shops for a five-month trial period.

The ordinance, which goes against the recommendation of the borough’s Planning Board, will no longer be enforced after Dec. 31 unless extended by the council at the end of the year.

“This is on a trial basis, but once you put something on a trial basis, it is very difficult to take something away,” said Mayor Pasquale Menna. “We have a sunset provision, but I would be extremely shocked if the sunset provision is going to be exercised on Dec. 31.”

Sandwich-board signs appeared outside businesses throughout the downtown after the Borough Council approved the signs for a trial period. JACQUELINE HLAVENKA Council members Michael DuPont, Juanita Lewis, Edward Zipprich, Kathleen Horgan and Arthur Murphy III voted yes on the ordinance, and Councilwoman Sharon Lee cast the lone no vote, citing concerns about public safety on borough sidewalks.

“We have so many accidents on Broad Street from just walking down the street,” said Lee, who is also a member of the borough’s Planning Board. “Again, I am not going to change my position on the sandwich boards, and perhaps it should be revisited, but when you look at the amount of accidents on our major roadways, we have menus set up and we have all kinds of signs. You can’t walk down there with a carriage and certainly not with a double stroller. I really think we need to be careful when we consider passing this ordinance.”

According to the ordinance, the mayor and council are not entirely convinced that sandwich signs are in the best interest of the borough, but they are willing to authorize the signs for a limited time as a demonstration project.

“When I introduced this, I proposed that it would be done on a trial basis,” said Zipprich. “In five months we will see how it goes and then make an educated decision as to whether it should go forward.”

Certain restrictions will be enforced under the revised ordinance. Business owners may place sandwich-board signs in or extending to the public right of way, and the signs should be located no closer than 10 feet to any sideyard property boundary, the ordinance states.

The signs must be constructed of weatherresistant materials and should have a maximum width of 30 inches, maximum height of 42 inches and a maximum depth of 20 inches.

Under the ordinance, the borough’s fire marshal and chief of police have the right to prohibit or further restrict the location of any sidewalk sign that is constituted a safety hazard to the public.

In addition, signs located within the Business Improvement District (BID) will be subject to design review by the Red Bank RiverCenter, the alliance that oversees the downtown business district.

DuPont, who strongly supported the trial ordinance, said the borough must be willing to experiment with new ways to generate foot traffic in the downtown.

“We have vacancies on Broad St. and we are trying to attract business,” DuPont said. “We need to try something new. I was away over the weekend for a few days and I was outside of country … I was painfully aware that the economy outside our little Red Bank is very bad. If we have the opportunity to try something new, why not? It’s not going to cost anything. If it doesn’t work or [creates] safety issues that [Councilwoman] Sharon [Lee] is concerned with, then we eliminate it, but we can always try a new idea. I think it is something bold with respect to our businesses and our RiverCenter. I proposed it to the council, and I’m asking the council not to be afraid of being bold, taking action and supporting our businesses.”

Two local business owners, Tom Fishkin, of Readie’s Fine Foods on Monmouth Street, and David Prown, of Prown’s Home Improvement, also on Monmouth Street, attended the meeting and were pleased with the council’s decision.

After the meeting, Menna said the sandwich signs were eliminated from the downtown because the designs were difficult to monitor in the past. He said some businesses abused the privilege of being able to advertise outside their stores.

“It is a question of enforcement, that’s all,” Menna said in an interview. “Businesses were putting out two or three and it just wasn’t really regulated well. We relied on self-regulation that didn’t exist.”

The ordinance allows business owners to place one sign outside during their regular hours. The governing body will monitor and determine if the sign policy will become permanent in the borough if the response from residents, visitors and businesses is positive.

“It’s a perennial question,” Menna said. “We want people on the sidewalk, but we need to provide access-way for them and their families. It was difficult in the past, and hopefully it will be different now."