Residents Irked By Business Signs on Townline Road – Patch

Hauppauge residents are reaching out to public officials asking them to remove business signs and advertising that “trash” Townline Road.

Patch reader Lew Franklin voiced his upset by multiple business posting advertisements on the utility poles along Townline Road, near Hauppauge High School.

“Tiger Schulmann is out of control with his signs on every pole in Nesconset (and elsewhere). And because he gets away with it, others have joined him in trashing the poles with their signs,” Franklin wrote.

He claims to have counted 18 signs for Tiger Schulmann’s Mixed Martial Arts signs on Townline Road alone. These red, black and white signs offer promises of a free mixed martial arts class or kickboxing class.

Other residents wonder how business signs stay prominently displayed on utility poles for weeks, when asked to take down their own signs after days.

“Last summer I had a garage sale. I put up a few signs on utility poles late on Friday night. Monday morning at 9 a.m. a representative from the Department of Public Safety rang my door bell and told me I needed to remove the signs immediately and I did,” commented Patch reader George. “… But my obvious question is why do so many businesses manage to put up and keep their signs for so long?”

Smithtown Town officials said it’s illegal for local businesses owners to post any signs on telephone poles advertising their businesses under town code. Town workers are aware of the problem and they are instructed to remove signs when out and about town.

Yet, Sensei Leonelli, owner of Tiger Schulmann’s in Smithtown, said the roadside signs provide cost-effective advertising for his business.

“It’s extraordinarily cheap and it’s effective,” Leonelli said. “We are persistent. Our signs will go up and they will tear them down. People give up before we do.”

He’s been warned by Smithtown officials that it’s illegal to post advertising on utility poles. His business isn’t the only one. The owner of Smithtown Firewood said the roadside signs were great to build business, but he’s been warned not to hang any more or face a fine from the town.

Town of Smithtown’s enforcement of the town code is the reason these businesses have started advertising on Townline Road.

“Smithtown communicated to us that it was strictly against town code,” Leonelli said. “Townline is the dividing line.”

However, it’s also illegal for businesses or residents to post signs on utility poles in the Town of Islip. The section on prohibited signs, under Chapter 68, Article 29 of the town code, reads, “any sign attached to a tree, telephone pole, portable object or to the face of another sign” is illegal.

Islip’s Department of Public works said while the town code is enforced, it’s difficult as they usually do not issue a notice of violations unless a person is seen putting the sign up.