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Colts Neck edits sign code to be content‑neutral after legal review; residents ask for clearer enforcement tools
Summary
The township attorney advised edits to the sign ordinance to remove content-specific restrictions on political signs and make the code content‑neutral; residents raised questions about enforcement of roadside and garage‑sale signs and suggested registration and sticker programs used in other towns.
Colts Neck amended its sign ordinance on May 14 after the township attorney told the committee the previous draft singled out political signs and risked violating constitutional free‑speech protections.
Attorney guidance and changes: The township attorney reported the office reviewed the existing sign ordinance and found provisions that specifically identified political signs, which would be unconstitutional; the edits remove content‑based restrictions and replace them with content‑neutral controls for events and temporary signs. The attorney said the revised language focuses on neutral parameters such as size, placement and duration rather than the message on a sign.
Public concerns about enforcement: Residents asked how the ordinance will be enforced for common problems such as a‑frame/temporary commercial signs left year‑round, contractor signs for services like power washing, and garage‑sale signs. One resident suggested a registration sticker program like Ridgewood’s (a nominal fee and removal fines) to encourage compliance and generate a modest revenue stream for enforcement.
Committee action and follow‑up: After public comment the committee closed the hearing and adopted the ordinance by roll call. Officials agreed to follow up with the resident who submitted written questions about size limits, enforcement on telephone poles and how code enforcement responds to weekend violations.
Provenance: Topic intro SEG 320; topic finish SEG 593.
