My Troubles with Evans Creek at Woodbridge

Well I've been living for about 8 years in the Woodbridge development. I hope I've been a good neighbor both to those who live near me and to the community as a whole. This week began a new chapter with the folks across the street at the Evans Creek at Woodbridge Apartments.

A couple of weeks ago, I was witness to a near miss accident near my condo. I was walking back from the store and a car making a right turn from my residential street pulled out in front of an oncoming pick-up. Brakes squealed and a quick swerve by the PU drive prevented an accident happening in front of me. I didn't think of it much more of the event after that except as a reminder to be a careful driver.

Then on Thursday this week, I was in the same position as that car those weeks earlier and was trying to see oncoming traffic around a sandwich sign for Evans Creek at Woodbridge Apartments; an apartment complex several blocks away. I've known that there are often one or two of these signs placed at this corner on a regular basis, but that day I realized the Evans Creek sign was placed illegally on the sidewalk and was blocking my clear vision down the street. So I took down the number on the sign and headed to work.

Thursday afternoon I called Evans Creek. Not sure who I talked to, but I told the women of my concern, she said they try not to place the sign on the sidewalk and would make a call. I did not give it a thought after that.

Sunday morning I was heading out for Breakfast and there was the sign. Now I'm not sure if it was moved on Thursday and moved back, or if nothing had been done at all. I just knew I was again in the position of making a right turn and staring at an increasingly irritating sign.

I called again and talked with Crystal. My hope is that I started the call like a neighbor. I introduced myself and said I had called on Thursday and explained the problem and that I didn't think it was either legal or safe for the sign to be there. Crystal said she would call the site manager on Monday and I'm afraid at that point I lost my temper. I thought a second call required a better response than that and told her that in 30 minutes I was going to go out and take pictures and then knock it down. “Knock it down” I said, at which point she said she had taken down my number and would hold me responsible for any damage to their sign.

Not the best way to end the conversation I guess. While knocking a sandwich board is not damaging it, I concede that it was not the best choice of words on my part and that I escalated the call. That said, her response to the problem and the response from Evans Creek over the last four days was poor at best.

So after breakfast, camera in hand I headed out to the corner. I debated on most of the walk what to do. It never occurred to me to damage the sign; let's be clear. But I was also not going to allow it to be a danger to the people in my neighborhood any more. Should I just lay it down on its side? I can't lay it on the sidewalk, frankly some bicyclist will not see it and run into it. In the end I decided to move it to the nearest piece of grass to its previous location, remaining up. I then took a picture of the resulting location in case some dispute arose around how it was treated.

I felt kind of bad about moving it where it blocks the Sandwich Sign for Vesta Apartments. Vesta is a closer apartment building; being located on the north corner of that intersection, has has three sandwich signs up at various spots, none of which reside on the sidewalk.

So what will Monday bring? Hell, what will be the result of my returning home from Sunday dinner with the parents. Will they put the sign back? Will they call my cell and threaten me as Crystal implied? I've decided I'm in the right on this and I'm not someone who pulls away from a fight. My hope is that management at Evans Creek will see these shots, realize some wires got crossed and make sure the sign remains both off the sidewalk and not obstructing a driver's view. My life would then return to its previous 8 year slumber.

Updated July 7th, 2013
Well the peace lasted for a week.  One or both of the signs were off the sidewalk.  That has now changed with the culmination of both signs 100% blocking the sidewalk this afternoon.  I will need to step up my game.

I've called Redmond Police and filed a complaint with dispatch.  My hope was that they might just be able to call the numbers and request they keep signs off the sidewalks, but the dispatcher said they do in person.  Two 5 minute calls would be preferred over a 60 minute stop.  I wish the management had been reasonable. I am starting to become unreasonable.  I have other things to try; legal, but designed to get their attention.

Updated July 14th, 2013
I left for some Saturday shopping around 2pm and the Evans Creek sign was back with balloons on the sidewalk.  I called Redmond Police (non-emergency line) and reported the sign.  About two hours later I drove home to find the sign knocked flat.  I can only assume the Police did that, but I do wonder if they called Evans Creek first.  Evans will not learn if they think this was vandalism rather than corrective action by law enforcement.

Updated July 18th, 2013
Well, I had a nice talk with Karl for the City of Redmond on Monday the 16th.  Yes indeed; there is a city ordnance against placing signs on sidewalks.  Not just blocking, but placing them on streets, on cycle paths and on sidewalks.  He mentioned he would try and call Evans Creek and I sent him the link to this blog for the photos.  That was in the morning of Monday the 16th.  I took this picture on Monday at 4:30pm.  Vesta is as bad as Evans and together they have a nice wall of law-breaking.  Tuesday, both signs were blocking in the morning and at 9pm, the Vesta sign was still out.

Updated July 19th, 2013
I called Karl from the city early Friday morning and again the Evans Creek Sign was on the walk.  So far Karl has not told me to go to the devil; which I would not blame him.  Its hard to say a city employee's time should got to sign policing, but he mentioned that you lose these battles by degree and we should push back.  By the afternoon, the sign was moved off the walk.

On a personal note, I'm about fed up with the two apartments.  If you drive a mile circle around these two complexes, you will find they place their signs on the walks at many points.  They don't appear to care about the law and that is starting to bug me.  This fight started with just keeping their signs from blocking the view of oncoming cars.  If it goes on much longer, it might be a battle about all their signs and two businesses staying within the law.  I'm forced to ask this question of myself.  If they are willing to break this law, what other laws might these business decided to ignore.  I have a strong passion about the Rule-of-law and they have been pushing my buttons.  That same passion prevents me from breaking the law in order to make my point, but there are other things that can be done.