Signs / billboards Umbrellas as Signs

[donk]

Saw a funny / interesting / made me think story in Thursday's NY Times. it is about a take-out/hotdog stand in Kennebunk Me, that is being prosecuted for having too many signs on a property. The thing is that the signs that contravene the by-law are the umbrella's on the patio. How do other people deal with umbrella's on a patio that also have advertising? Kennebunk has made the owner spray paint the ads out.

I won't even get into some of the reasons why this take-out may have been targeted.

For clarity, here is the type of umbrella I'm talking about.

 

[Lee Nellis]

The umbrellas certainly are signs by almost any definition I've ever worked with. But you have to wonder what trade-off is being made between color and vitality in the community and the desire to keep signs in check …_