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Greenburgh Town Board agrees to restore inclusive holiday signage at Orchard Hill parklet
Summary
After complaints over a 'Happy Hanukkah' sign removal, the Greenburgh Town Board debated free-speech and inclusion and agreed to allow residents to restore holiday decorations with either multiple holiday signs or a neutral 'Season’s Greetings' sign at the Orchard Hill entrance.
The Greenburgh Town Board discussed and approved restoring holiday decorations at the small parklet at the entrance to Orchard Hill on Canterbury Road after a 'Happy Hanukkah' sign was removed following a complaint.
The issue surfaced during the board’s Dec. 3 work session after residents asked the board to allow reinstatement of the signage. The supervisor said the signs were paid for by residents and that the town did not install or fund them. "She paid for it," the supervisor said, describing the resident who organized the decorations. Council members discussed whether to allow three separate greetings — "Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa" — or to use one inclusive message such as "Season’s Greetings."
Board members framed the question as a free-speech and equal-treatment issue on town property. One member noted, "It's a public space, and religious holidays have a great deal of meaning to a lot of people," and another emphasized time, place and manner standards for signage. The town attorney had circulated a legal memorandum earlier in the day explaining the town’s limits in restricting messages on public property.
Several members said they preferred an inclusive approach. One council member said, "Either none at all or all the holidays or 'Season's Greetings,' which covers it all," and urged the board to ensure Kwanzaa signage be available immediately. Members agreed staff would contact the resident who ordered the original signs about adding the additional greetings.
The town clarified it will not pay for the decorations; the signage in question was resident-funded and placed on town property. The conversation closed with the supervisor directing staff to follow up with the organizer and a consensus to restore signage that either lists multiple holidays or uses an inclusive seasonal greeting.
The board did not take formal regulatory action beyond this direction; members noted that, legally, the town’s ability to restrict messages on public property is limited and that residents placing signs should be aware other messages might also be posted in the same public space.
The Town Board moved on to other agenda items after resolving to contact the resident and restore an inclusive set of holiday signs.
