Council delays decision on Norman Bridge daycare sign; owner given two weeks to show plan

The Montgomery City Council voted to delay action for two weeks on a demolition order affecting a freestanding sign at 3447 Norman Bridge Road after a prospective daycare operator and her representatives asked to keep or reuse the sign while they prepare the business.

Ed Fleming, a commercial real-estate representative, appeared on behalf of the applicant and said the prospective operator has leased the building and is completing interior work. Fleming said the operator is "waiting on DHR" and estimated the operator could be ready within 60 days. He asked the council to allow the business an opportunity to use the sign.

The nut graf: Council members noted the city’s recent enforcement program targeting illegal or unsafe signs but also recognized the new business interest in the property. Council asked the applicant to provide a signed contract and a plan for the sign and set a two-week window to produce those documents; if the owner cannot demonstrate a plan to use or repair the sign to meet city design standards, the city will remove the sign.

Several councilors pressed that the city has limited resources for repeated exceptions and asked that any exception include clear commitments (a signed vendor contract and a design meeting city standards). Code and enforcement staff said removal costs are typically bid and billed back to property owners if the city removes a sign; council members noted removal is expensive and often shifts to the owner as an assessed cost.

Outcome: Council members agreed to delay enforcement for two weeks while the applicant provides documentation — if the documentation is not provided and the sign is not brought into compliance, the city will remove the sign. The council did not rescind the demolition order; it administratively postponed enforcement to allow the owner to present a remediation plan.