Karla Wenger brought her candle bar store from Pismo Beach to West Branch Street in the Village of Arroyo Grande almost a year ago.
Now, she faces a dilemma regarding how she promotes her business on the street.
Under Arroyo Grande’s sign ordinance, sandwich boards are not allowed on public property and she was recently contacted by the city about it.
”We used a sandwich board in Pismo Beach and we never had a problem with that,” Wenger said.
She says the sign helps contribute to her business' visibility. Even on Google Maps, her store's location often misguides customers, showing it across the street.
The store Neighbors, on the other side of the street, faces a similar plight with a sandwich board that is even sentimental to the owner, Alex Creswell.
“I have some good friends who are hand painters and my dad built the plywood frame and just thought it would be kind of a fun way to market and show people that I'm open,” Creswell said.
In contrast to Wenger’s experience, Creswell has not been contacted about her sign, leaving Wenger feeling singled out.
“I haven't had any direct communication from anyone from the city,” Creswell said.
“I thought that was a little unfair. Like, I was wondering why it was only me," Wenger said.
In an email to Wenger, Arroyo Grande Mayor Caren Ray Russom acknowledged the inconsistencies and challenges of enforcement, calling them "horribly inconsistent enforcement."
“We're not targeting any particular business. We're just looking at overall enforcement for the Village," said Brian Pedrotti, City of Arroyo Grande Community Development Director.
During the pandemic, the sign ordinance was relaxed to support the local economy. However, as the pandemic waned, complaints about visual clutter and sidewalk accessibility prompted the city to resume enforcement efforts.
Code enforcement officers occasionally engage with businesses to educate them about the sign ordinance.
“We are going out, visiting, dialoguing with businesses, trying to let them know the what the rules are," Pedrotti said. "We have not fined anybody or anything like that, and we prefer to just get voluntary compliance as we go.”
The city encourages alternative sign options like projecting signs, wall signs, or sandwich board signs on private property with a permit.
