Crist’s big sign catches attention, violates code (FL Gov's race)

[seafan]

http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2006/10/crists_big_sign.html">Crist’s big sign catches attention, violates code

Kevin Graham, Times staff writer
Pctpber 23, 2006

TAMPA — The sign went up Saturday — a seven-story, full-color banner of a beaming Charlie Crist, dominating the side of a downtown office building.

The idea was to catch voters’ attention.

But it also caught the eye of Tampa’s top code enforcement official, who says the Republican gubernatorial candidate’s sign is illegal.

“We are going to cite the building owner and give them 30 days in which to move it,” Curtis Lane, Tampa’s code enforcement director, said Monday with a chuckle. “You know why I’m laughing, right?”

Because the election is 15 days away.

There was no word from the Crist campaign on whether it will take the sign down sooner to comply with the law. The campaign did not return a call about details of the agreement to hang the banner.

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A city ordinance requires that political banners receive a permit and limits their height to 18 feet. Lane estimated the Crist banner was at least 90 feet tall.

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The Crist banner, which is discernible up to 5 miles away at Raymond James Stadium, was placed on top of the gecko.

“I noticed it right off the bat,” said Sean Johnson of Tampa, as he stood across the street on the steps of the TECO Building plaza. “It’s a little over the edge if you ask me.”

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Charlie has a terrible case of overcompensation.