Well, well..... my company has had a similar problem.... Meherrin River Jail is one of my main locations... my little town and my daughter and myself, live about 20 minutes from that jail... it is extremely rural and the only community close by is the small community of Alberta, Va... population about 300... right... 300.
My daughter spent at least 6 months jumping through all sorts of hoops getting permission to place a sign advertising our bond business in a close proximity to the jail. She obtained permission from DOT... had a survey done for utilities and right of ways, distance from center line and side of roadway.... contacted property owners and after all that was granted permission to place the sign... it is located less than 500 yds. from the main entrance to the jail and happens to be the ONLY bail bond sign in the area. We found out that according to DOT regulations, no other sign, advertising bail bonds, can be placed within one mile of this sign... HOT DOG!!! The sign is very tastefully done, no outrages colors or pictures, just the facts and the numbers... and it is on private property.
Dawn planted some nice little flowers and here you can see the location and nearness to the jail.....
At the opening ceremony of the jail... my daughter was approached by the then Mayor of Alberta and told that she had not obtained permission from the town to place the sign.... Dawn was visibly upset, but maintained her composure and said she would look into it.... well, short story on this is that the particular corner that the sign is located on happens not to be in the town limits.... all around is... but that little corner is owned by a local farmer who is 100% on our side and is absolutely not owned by the town, so as much as it seemed to irritate the mayor of Alberta (who has since left office and a new one is in place...) nothing could be done.
I might mention that at a brief meeting that Dawn and myself had with the mayor... resulted in the mayor actually saying that the bail bonds business was.... her word... "garish"... which I found rather insulting and although I wanted to say a few words to her... at the time I actually kept my mouth shut... (a rather unusual accomplishment if I say so myself).
So having said all that... I completely understand the situation here.... I might mention that the "Double D" with the picture may have been a bit over the top... I have always tried to be proper and within certain limits in my advertising, but I do see some bonding companies get a little outside the box.... which does effect us all....
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The signs are a problem, but the existence of bail bonds companies in the Towson core is the greater problem, at least one community member said.
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Marks said he considered outlawing bail bonds businesses in town center business districts; limiting how many can exist within a certain distance of a library; or creating a separate zoning class for bail bonds companies, one which would require that they obtain special exemptions.
I better not comment on this further..... only to state that our US Constitution... specifically the 8th Amendment addresses bail and even the Virginia state Bill of Rights addresses this issue as follows: "That excessive bail ought not to be required"
Point is that bail bonds and the existence and business thereof is involved in our constitutional rights... I can't think of another private industry that has been addressed in not only the federal constitution but also several state constitutions.... in a manner as explicit as this.... should not those facts allow like businesses to advertise in a free society... guidelines certainly but the right to advertise in a respectable and proper manner... ABSOLUTELY....