Eric McPherson says he is standing up for small business owners in Leavenworth. McPherson, the owner of Flatland Vapes at South Broadway St. and Delaware St., is locked in a struggle with the city of Leavenworth over a sign on top of his business. It served as the former sign for Herken’s Automotive and sat on top of the building for decades. City code dictated the grandfathered-in sign had to come down once McPherson bought the building. He said it would cost too much to remove and pleaded with the city to allow it to stay. He also tried to have another sign put up, but, was denied.“They said they were going to code violate me for not removing the Herken’s automotive sign because the business has been gone,” said McPherson. “So, I paid a local graffiti artist to remove the Herken’s automotive sign. It is removed. I did what you asked me to do.”McPherson said he now has a court date due to the graffiti on the sign.A city spokeswoman said the city does not comment on pending court cases.But Leavenworth Mayor Jermaine Wilson said he is trying to work with McPherson on a solution if he removes the graffiti panels from the sign.“Once he goes to the court, what ends up happening, he will just let them know that he made the abatement, he’s removed the sign” Wilson said. “Whatever the judge may say at that time, but it’ll look good with him removing the temporary sign.”Wilson said he plans to work with the city and McPherson and other business owners to make changes to the sign ordinance.“The ordinance is something that we’re going to have we’re going to be looking at making modifications to in the upcoming future,” he said. McPherson said he will continue to raise questions about his situation and wants to make sure Leavenworth takes another look at the law. “We need to change some of these sign codes,” McPherson said.
Eric McPherson says he is standing up for small business owners in Leavenworth. McPherson, the owner of Flatland Vapes at South Broadway St. and Delaware St., is locked in a struggle with the city of Leavenworth over a sign on top of his business.
It served as the former sign for Herken’s Automotive and sat on top of the building for decades.
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City code dictated the grandfathered-in sign had to come down once McPherson bought the building. He said it would cost too much to remove and pleaded with the city to allow it to stay. He also tried to have another sign put up, but, was denied.
“They said they were going to code violate me for not removing the Herken’s automotive sign because the business has been gone,” said McPherson. “So, I paid a local graffiti artist to remove the Herken’s automotive sign. It is removed. I did what you asked me to do.”
McPherson said he now has a court date due to the graffiti on the sign.
A city spokeswoman said the city does not comment on pending court cases.
But Leavenworth Mayor Jermaine Wilson said he is trying to work with McPherson on a solution if he removes the graffiti panels from the sign.
“Once he goes to the court, what ends up happening, he will just let them know that he made the abatement, he’s removed the sign” Wilson said. “Whatever the judge may say at that time, but it’ll look good with him removing the temporary sign.”
Wilson said he plans to work with the city and McPherson and other business owners to make changes to the sign ordinance.
“The ordinance is something that we’re going to have we’re going to be looking at making modifications to in the upcoming future,” he said.
McPherson said he will continue to raise questions about his situation and wants to make sure Leavenworth takes another look at the law.
“We need to change some of these sign codes,” McPherson said.