Businessman says he had permission to erect sign

By SHELLEY TERRY - Staff Writer - sterry@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

August 29, 2008 12:27 am

— ASHTABULA — The recent controversy over a sign on Lake Avenue is really very simple, the city council president said Thursday.
“There’s a process to be followed; the process wasn’t followed,” President Rodger Altier said. “You just don’t do what you want to do.”
Altier’s comments refer to Jere Austin, owner of Lake Erie Real Estate, 718-B Lake Ave., who rents space for his real-estate office from Clarence Metcalf of Ashtabula. Metcalf is an owner of the building, in the Harbor Historic District, which means it is subject to the regulations set forth by the city’s architectural review board. The review board didn’t approve of the real-estate company’s sign and ordered it to come down.
Austin complied, but he and Metcalf didn’t see anything wrong with the sign. Metcalf talked with City Manager Anthony Cantagallo, who then allowed Metcalf to re-erect the sign.
Altier chided Cantagallo at the Aug. 18 precouncil meeting about permitting the sign to go back up after the architectural review board ordered it to come down. The board said the sign does not meet their specifications for a historic district.
Altier’s attitude about the situation angered Metcalf. On Thursday, Altier called Metcalf “a nonenity.”
Altier said the sign should not go up because of the architectural review board’s decision, and Austin should take his case to the planning commission, and then, if necessary, to council. That’s the proper way of doing business in the city of Ashtabula, Altier said.
Austin, who said he has a permit to erect the sign, has asked his attorney, Pearce Leary of Chardon, to handle the matter from now on. Altier said if Austin has a permit, it’s illegal.