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Sponsor: Bevins
Allows a sign to remain if erected prior to 1960 along a numbered US highway. (Marks got US1 excluded.)
This was introduced to preempt an ongoing legal battle. I had won at the variance hearing with the judge deciding that one of the existing signs should be removed. It was appealed, and then delayed. After the bill was passed, the appeal was withdrawn as moot, and they got to keep the sign (without having to prove that it qualified under the new law).
At the work session, Bevins held up a photo of this one sign, although, technically, the bill would apply to an unknown number of signs. At the time of the vote, that specific sign was still in Marks' District, not Bevins'. See Balt Sun article. which refers to my fight, but never gave me a chance to comment before publication!
This bill was faulty in that it did not provide for a process to make the determination of meeting the "before 1960" condition.
Time line:
- 17 Dec 2013, Order from Case 2014-0048 denying second sign.
- 29 Jan 2014, Order denying Motion for Reconsideration.
- 27 Feb 2014, Petitioner filed Appeal, first scheduled hearing was postponed.
- 7 July 2014, Bill introduced
- 4 Aug 2014, Bill passed, effective 18 Aug.
- 18 Aug 2014, letter submitted to PAI requesting to be informed if a request was submitted in accordance with Bill 42-14 to validate sign - no response
- 27 Aug 2014, Board of Appeals hearing held, dismissed (at petitioner's request)) as not needed, Board would not address the claim that the sign was there before 1960, which could have been easily refuted.
I heard that at about this time (late 2014), an election victory party was held at the Williamsburg Inn (later called Parker's, now Portside North) for Bevins, but no record of it can be found (either as an in-kind donation or campaign expense). What is found among the campaign donations are the following:
12 Sept 2013, $500 Parker to Marks
16 Nov and 14 Dec 2014, $250 Parker to Marks
26 May 2015, $500 Parker to Bevins
21 Sept 2016, $1,000 Parker to Bevins
1 Oct 2018, #250 Parker to Bevins ($1,750 to date)
6 May 2019, $1,000 Parker to Bevins
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