To the editor:
Political candidate lawn signs that comply with town policy are being stolen.
Judging by experiences in this and the past few elections, and in spite of frequent publication in local media, there seems to be a lack of understanding or appreciation regarding political signs. A policy was issued by the town of Lincoln in August 2012. In the words of the town officials, this policy was developed to recognize the historical practice of town residents in the apparent interest of restraint, fair play and courtesy, and to be consistent with statewide legal precedent protecting free speech. Following are the key points.
One political sign may be placed by right on private land, not to exceed 8 square feet and for no more than 180 days prior to the election. Political signs can be held by right (without a permit) on town-owned land as long as they don’t impact safety or constitute a hazard for either motorists or pedestrians. Unattended political signs can be placed by right on town-owned land at the designated intersections in Section 16.2 (d) of the Zoning Bylaw. These five locations are at the intersections of:
- Sandy Pond Road and Lincoln Road
- Ballfield Road and Lincoln Road
- Lincoln Road and South Great Road
- Bedford Road and Morningside Lane
- Codman Road and Concord Road
It was noted at the time that the historical practice or habit of town residents has been to limit the display of these political signs to one week before election, a practice that political campaigns and candidate supporters are expected to respect. It should also be noted that such political signs are the private property of the relevant candidate’s campaign and the resident on whose property the sign has been placed. As such, vandalism and/or unauthorized removal is illegal.
I hope this will clarify misunderstandings and become fully appreciated by town residents and campaign supporters alike.
Sincerely,
Gary Davis
Indian Camp Lane
Chair, Lincoln Democratic Town Committee
Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.