Rowayton To Vote On Signage Rules For Popular Community Fence

NORWALK, CT — After a months-long battle over what can and cannot grace the fence, Rowayton residents will vote Wednesday on rules for what signage will be allowed on the community message board fence on Rowayton Avenue.

The popular fence, which for years has carried birthday messages, community announcements and other items of interest, became a flash point last summer after a Black Lives Matter poster was placed on the fence for a couple of weeks. It was removed by the Sixth Taxing District Commission, which said that the sign was only allowed for a short amount of time.

That did not sit well with some residents, many of whom supported the BLM movement and sentiment, who said the decision to remove the sign was unfair and politically motivated. The sign was allowed to return in the fall, but was met with a "Back the Blue" sign as a counter-protest, which led to another round of complaints.

Rowayton is a wealthy village in the southwestern part of Norwalk next to Darien, and the Old School Field fence on Rowayton Avenue has mostly carried signs and messages that have avoided controversy.

"There has been much discussion over the past six months about what types of signage are appropriate for the Old School Field Fence," the Sixth Taxing District wrote on its website. "While the Commissioners tried to provide some flexibility with the existing guidelines, a group of residents believe the guidelines need to be modified. After several lengthy public meetings, the Commissioners have decided that 6TD residents should exercise their democratic rights and a town-wide vote will be held now with 2 different guideline options for our community fence. The group that developed another option has requested that their option be withdrawn."

The two options are as follows, according to the district:

OPTION #1
These are the current guidelines for signs on the Old School Field Fence:

• The Old School Fence is to be used for local announcements, local events, and local promotions. No political signs.
• Given the limited space, the fence will be for Rowayton residents and Rowayton non-profit organizations only
• We ask that users send a note to info@rowayton6td.com when they put up a sign for events and personal messages. This is so the 6TD knows who owns the sign, and we can monitor the length of time it is being hung.
• Promotion for events can go up to 6 weeks prior to event, but we ask it is taken down immediately after the event is over.
• For personal messages, (congrats, happy birthday, welcome home type signs), we ask that they are up for no more than 2 weeks.
• 6TD will monitor this to ensure signs don’t overstay their welcome.

OPTION #2
The same guidelines as Option #1 with the addition of:
The “Black Lives Matter” sign is allowed on the fence for up to a year.

The Hour reports that the other option, which the district said was withdrawn, required signatures from 100 residents before a "human rights sign" could be posted. Such signs would be allowed to be placed on the fence for two months.

Rowayton's Sixth Taxing District has roughly 4,000 residents, and only those who are registered voters in the district will be allowed to vote Wednesday between noon and 8 p.m. The socially distanced vote will take place in the Moose Room of the Rowayton Community Center, at 33 Highland Ave.

For more information, visit the Sixth Taxing District website.