Sacramento Health Club Owners Feel Muscled Out By City Ordinance
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The owners of Got Muscle Health Club wanted a way for drivers to notice their Folsom Boulevard business. Those signs have caught the attention of Sacramento officials who want them down, or the company will be fined.
The owners say their signs attract potential customers and have used the a-frames for the past four years.
"The only way people can see us is by a little signage," said Carl Fears.
Carl and his wife, Elizabeth, say the city sent a warning in November to take down the sandwich board signs because they violated the city's sign ordinance.
But are all signs created equal? Nearby RPM Lenders has a sign out in front of its business that the city hasn't complained about.
"Every morning I get into our office and take the sign out and make sure that our customers can see it out on the road," said Brian Lewis who works at RPM Lenders.
City code enforcement officer Ron O'Connor says his department passes by violators all the time and don't do a thing. They only check out a business if someone files a complaint with their office.
"If we stopped at every a-frame sign, we wouldn't get 10 blocks from our office ever. We have other issues. We prioritize everything by health and safety issues, and a-frame signs are pretty low on the list," he said.
He added the policy had to change after the recession when the department lost half of it's staff.
The Fears plan to fight the ordinance, but for now are keeping their signs indoors. They've started a petition against the ordinance.
