originally posted Jan 6, 2006
I was downtown yesterday, at 600 Central Plaza and as I returned to my car I looked up and there was the Montana Bar sign, nicely decorated with bird droppings and such. As those of you who read this blog know, I have mentioned this sign a few times in the past. This is because it bothers me. This bar has been closed for years. Why is the sign still up? We have a nice new sign code, with a whole section on signs that advertise a defunct business. Passed by our City Commission, despite… well we won’t go there. Now I do not know who owns the building, but I know who used to own the business, and I think someone should stand up and follow the rules. I know for a fact that a local sign shop, licensed, bonded & insured, offered to remove this sign free of charge. All he wanted was the sign, because it is old and unique. His offer was turned down, because there was a plan in place to remove the sign and install it inside another downtown business. (Because it is old and unique.) This all took place last year. So. Why is this sign still up? Anyone have any info?
5 Responses to “originally posted Jan 6, 2006”
1 Walter Greenspan 18 June 2007 @ 9:28 pm
As I recall some of what happened concenring the “Montana Bar” sign:
The owner of “Bits & Pieces of Montana” wanted the “Montana Bar” sign because the bar was owned and operated by her family and there was the possibility that the “Montana Bar” sign could be modified to read “Montana Bits & Pieces”.
But, the owner-operator of “Fireside Books”, the then owner of the building where the “Montana Bar” sign is located, would not sell for non-business reasons.
Since that time, “Bits and Pieces of Montana” has gone out of business and the building where the “Montana Bar” sign is located was sold to Phil Kiser as the previous owner sold the building and his house and re-located to Utah.
2 firefly 19 June 2007 @ 7:10 am
O.K.
How long ago did the Bar go out of business.
Why was the sign not removed within 180 days after that, as the sign code specified. Why has this become Phil Kisers problem.
Unless the “then owner of Fireside Books” payed to put the sign up, the owner of the sign, the holder of the liquor license who profited from the sign, was responsible for it, even after the business closed and the license was sold. (unless there is a contract out there that says different?)
3 Walter Greenspan 19 June 2007 @ 11:11 am
It could be a bit more complicated than “the owner of the sign, the holder of the liquor license who profited from the sign, was responsible for it”, because it is my understanding that the owner/operators of the Montana Bar may not have owned owned the building where the Montana Bar was located.
4 Walter Greenspan 19 June 2007 @ 11:22 am
It’s my understanding that the parents of the woman (she’s a sitting City Councilwoman) that owned “Bits & Pieces of Montana” and who wanted to buy (or, maybe, just take possession of) the “Montana Bar” sign, were the owner/operators of the Montana Bar.
5 firefly 19 June 2007 @ 12:16 pm
It is not more complicated than that. Stay tuned, I’ll follow up on this.
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