This sign, first erected before 1949, will soon be removed. The sign has not been used since the Goodwill Donation Xpress left the space in 2015 or 2016, according to Placerville Development Services Director Pierre Rivas. Mountain Democrat photo by Odin Rasco
Though this Gold Country Chiropractic sign met standards for pole signs in the city of Placerville when first built in 1998, rules have changed and city officials have opted to remove the sign, which has been advertising a business that closed more than two years ago. Mountain Democrat photo by Odin Rasco
City staff have been directed remove signs about town left behind by businesses no longer in operation, including this Delta Bedding and Furniture sign, located across from the Save Mart on Broadway in Placerville. Mountain Democrat photo by Odin Rasco
This sign, first erected before 1949, will soon be removed. The sign has not been used since the Goodwill Donation Xpress left the space in 2015 or 2016, according to Placerville Development Services Director Pierre Rivas. Mountain Democrat photo by Odin Rasco
Though this Gold Country Chiropractic sign met standards for pole signs in the city of Placerville when first built in 1998, rules have changed and city officials have opted to remove the sign, which has been advertising a business that closed more than two years ago. Mountain Democrat photo by Odin Rasco
City staff have been directed remove signs about town left behind by businesses no longer in operation, including this Delta Bedding and Furniture sign, located across from the Save Mart on Broadway in Placerville. Mountain Democrat photo by Odin Rasco
Placerville's skyline will be a bit less cluttered soon, as City Council approved resolutions directing city staff to remove three pole signs that have fallen into disuse.
"This is an evergreen issue," Mayor Michael Saragosa said, celebrating the city once again having an employee devoted full-time to code enforcement.
The three signs will be familiar to anyone driving along Main Street and Broadway, having served as signs for one business or another for decades. The youngest of the three — a 38-foot-tall pole at 50 Main St., advertising Gold Country Chiropractic — was erected in 1998. Though it met standards set when first placed, the sign no longer meets regulations for pole signs in the city. The business advertised on the sign has not been in operation at the location since 2019, according to Pierre Rivas, Development Services director for the city.Â
The sign and pole will be removed by city staff, according to Rivas. If another business in the space would like to erect a new sign, it would have to meet new standards for signs and would require site plan review and application for a conditional use permit. Rivas explained that the owner of the location had been contacted regarding the sign and a number of other code concerns, and said it was an "ongoing situation."
The blank sign located near the gas station just east of the intersection of Broadway, Main Street and Mosquito Road will also soon vanish, having last been in use by a Goodwill Donation Xpress that closed around 2015 or 2016, according to Rivas. The sign was first erected prior to 1949, Rivas said. The 7-Eleven corporation, which owns the sign and the neighboring gas station, has been contacted by staff and a representative has stated they are willing to remove the sign.
Rivas also noted that city staff hoped to speak with the corporation further about the small building near the soon-to-be-removed sign.
"We would like to talk to corporate about any interest in getting a new business in the building that has stood vacant for a long time," Rivas told the council. "It is a good commercial space for maybe a small store or something."
The third sign on the chopping block stands across the street from the Save Mart on Broadway, advertising Delta Bedding and Furniture, which Rivas said left the location some time between 2019 and 2021. Rivas told the council the owner had already spoken with city staff and is willing to remove the sign, which was originally constructed in 1963, according to permit records.
Signs - We need to capitalize on signs. What made Thomas Kinkade cool: He was the painter of light! We need neon signs back on Main Street - Like The old Blue Bell neon sign, the Hangman's Tree neon sign etc... To come onto Main a proper business would need a groovy neon sign from Western Sign Co. The bell Tower could have some added too! I'm telling you it would be really cool and people would hear about it and come from miles around to get selfies and that "status" pic; Been there baby! It could be so beautiful on a rainy night -Just like One of Kinkades' paintings of light - But the real deal!
P.S. We could make use of Officer Bob's old car, Parking it in front of the Bell Tower as a police sub-sub-station. And...... have a very personable beat officer protecting and keeping the jewel of Main Street and everyone on it feeling safe, like it's Mayberry. For it to thrive the people must feel safe and "Status Selfied".
Nice that they go after the old Pop Shoppe sign (Locals will know what that is), but what are they doing for fire preparedness before we become the next Paradise?
About a month ago, the Mountain Democrat reported on the County’s $25 million defensible space and home-hardening program in the Weber Creek area - the most likely source of a wildfire that would threaten Placerville. Last year, the City spent a large chunk of ARRA funds to reduce fuel loads in Gold Bug Park and other City properties. The RCD, Placerville, County Fire district, and County Fire Safe Councils are working to fund a vegetation management project to create a defensible line along the City’s northern border as well, along the top of the South Fork river canyon. There’s a lot going on and of course it’s both possible and necessary to accomplish more than one thing at the same time. So no, I don’t think spending a little time and money removing some eyesores in the city’s downtown is detracting from fire safety work or progress on any of the other concerns raised by commentors.
Good to see them focused on spending money on important things. We've still got homeless druggies running amok destroying the city, dealing with property crimes and a deficit. But spending money on this is very important and obviously a safety priority.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
(5) comments
Signs - We need to capitalize on signs. What made Thomas Kinkade cool: He was the painter of light! We need neon signs back on Main Street - Like The old Blue Bell neon sign, the Hangman's Tree neon sign etc... To come onto Main a proper business would need a groovy neon sign from Western Sign Co. The bell Tower could have some added too! I'm telling you it would be really cool and people would hear about it and come from miles around to get selfies and that "status" pic; Been there baby! It could be so beautiful on a rainy night -Just like One of Kinkades' paintings of light - But the real deal!
P.S. We could make use of Officer Bob's old car, Parking it in front of the Bell Tower as a police sub-sub-station. And...... have a very personable beat officer protecting and keeping the jewel of Main Street and everyone on it feeling safe, like it's Mayberry. For it to thrive the people must feel safe and "Status Selfied".
Nice that they go after the old Pop Shoppe sign (Locals will know what that is), but what are they doing for fire preparedness before we become the next Paradise?
About a month ago, the Mountain Democrat reported on the County’s $25 million defensible space and home-hardening program in the Weber Creek area - the most likely source of a wildfire that would threaten Placerville. Last year, the City spent a large chunk of ARRA funds to reduce fuel loads in Gold Bug Park and other City properties. The RCD, Placerville, County Fire district, and County Fire Safe Councils are working to fund a vegetation management project to create a defensible line along the City’s northern border as well, along the top of the South Fork river canyon. There’s a lot going on and of course it’s both possible and necessary to accomplish more than one thing at the same time. So no, I don’t think spending a little time and money removing some eyesores in the city’s downtown is detracting from fire safety work or progress on any of the other concerns raised by commentors.
Good to see them focused on spending money on important things. We've still got homeless druggies running amok destroying the city, dealing with property crimes and a deficit. But spending money on this is very important and obviously a safety priority.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.