NORWALK — Residents looking to vote on a new policy for signs posted on a community fence in the heart of Rowayton will now be presented with three options instead of two when they head to the polls next week.
Earlier this week, the Sixth Taxing District Commission relented to calls for a third option on the ballot after many residents complained that the other two options were “inadequate” in addressing the issue at hand.
In November, the commission decided to allow the neighborhood to vote on revisions to a policy deciding what types of signs could be posted on the Old School Field fence following months of controversy after people posted Black Lives Matter sign and “Back the Blue” signs on the community bulletin board.
For years, the district has allowed the community to post signs on the Old School Field fence, at the corner of Witch Lane and Wilson Avenue, for a two-week period. Residents often leave messages there congratulating high school students on graduation, wishing children happy birthday and posting signs for neighborhood gatherings.
Signs deemed to be “political in nature,” however, were not allowed under these rules. But when residents banded together to put a BLM sign on the fence, it raised questions of whether or not that sign was considered political.
Residents will decide between three options on Jan. 13.
The first option would keep the fence’s regulations as is, meaning signs would be allowed for a two-week period, the Sixth Taxing District would need to be alerted when a sign is hung, and the messages could not be “political in nature.”
“Signs promoting or targeting a specific candidate or party for any political office, or featuring any slogan associated with a candidate are not allowed,” the option reads.
A second option would allow residents to hang signs for “local announcements, events, promotions and supportive statements or creative expressions of human rights.”
Under this option, “human rights signs” would require sponsorship of 100 residents before being eligible. These signs would be allowed to stay up for at least eight weeks, but they would not be allowed to depict slogans, imagery, persons or groups that “seek the denial of equal rights and protections of any people.”
The newly introduced third option would keep the rules regulating signs the same as the first option, except it would also allow the BLM sign to remain on the fence for up to a year.
Signs posted on the fence have been a controversial topic since June, when when the group of Rowayton residents hung their BLM banner on the fence.
In less than a month, it was twice vandalized and once stolen.
Then in July, the Sixth Taxing District Commission asked that the sign be taken down, citing complaints from residents claiming it was political and had been allowed to stay up for longer than two weeks.
But in late October the commission reversed course and allowed the sign to return. Days later, a “Back the Blue” banner appeared feet away, sparking a second wave of controversy.
Within a week, the Sixth Taxing District asked that all signs be removed from the fence as commissioners examined possible rules changes. Sixth Taxing District Commissioner Tammy Langalis said this move was prompted by a request from the community group behind the BLM sign.
Residents are scheduled to vote in person on Jan. 13 in the courtyard of the Rowayton Community Center at 33 Highland Ave. Commissioners said the vote will be held in a “socially distanced manner.”
All residents who wish to vote must be registered voters in Norwalk. Those who would prefer not to vote in person are asked to contact Andrea Woodworth, the Sixth Taxing District clerk, at awoodworth@rowayton6td.com.
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New ballot option would allow BLM sign to stay up for a year in Norwalk neighborhood - Thehour.com
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