Well-meaning signs posted illegally; City fears false sense of security

A Troubleshooter tipster recently complained about the number of street signs his neighbors are posting of the "slow down, children playing" variety.

The writer of the e-mail, who lives in the Five Points area of Raleigh, said he finds the signs distracting and tacky. He thinks they are illegal, especially when attached to city speed limit signs.

He's correct -- at least about the legality of them, says Larry Strickland, the city's inspections director.

It is illegal for anyone to post a sign on or over any right-of-way unless authorized by the City Council. City employees take them down when they see them and respond to complaints, Strickland wrote in an e-mail message.

Progress Energy utility poles are off limits, said Jeff Brooks, a Progress Energy spokesman. The poles are property of the energy company, and signs could obscure important identifiers on the pole that are used to maintain the lines.

Mike Kennon, the city's transportation operations manager, said this week that the city sometimes gets requests for signs such as these from neighborhoods. The answer is always no.

"The reason is those kinds of signs may encourage or give children or parents a false sense of security," Kennon said this week. "So we just don't post those."

(IS SOMETHING BROKEN IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? We want tips from communities across the Triangle -- Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Wake, Johnston, Orange and Chatham counties. Call (919) 836-5740 and leave a message on our tip line or send e-mail to us at troubleshooter@newsobserver.com. See previous items in the Triangle Troubleshooter at newsobserver.com key word: Troubleshooter.)