Coupeville Sports

Jake Mitten prepares to fire the ball in during a soccer game. (John Fisken photo)

38 years of building up the youth of Central Whidbey, on the field and off.

Coupeville’s new Town Planner has only been on the job since May, but already is making waves.

One of Tammy Baraconi’s first acts has been to inform the Central Whidbey Soccer Club that, after 10+ years, it is no longer allowed to hang a banner on the Department of Transportation-owned fence next to the overpass that crosses Highway 20 in Coupeville.

There is a disagreement over how the banner — which is hung in the summer and again in late winter to get kids signed up for fall and spring soccer seasons run by the non-profit club — is classified under the town’s sign code.

For the previous decade, the club was told by town officials that the banner was considered an Event-Orientated Sign — Coupeville Town Code 16.28.020 (B) (11) — which allows signs to hang for a period of not more than six weeks before the event and be removed not later than one week following the event.

Baraconi now says the banner falls under Off-Premise Advertising — CTC 16.28.020(C)(8) — which is not permitted, since the Soccer Club does not have a field or office at the location the sign is being hung.

At this point, since this is not a “professional newspaper” and I do not have to be neutral, let me be clear — while this change is well-intentioned (I assume), it is asinine.

Has anyone ever complained about the banner being hung there?

I doubt it.

Has there ever been an accident caused by the placing of the banner there?

I doubt it.

Has the soccer club been an invaluable asset to this community? Has it spurred an incredible growth in soccer among Central Whidbey youths? Is it performing a valuable service?

Yes, yes, and yes once again.

Again and again we hear how we need to give the youth more opportunities, more chances to find constructive things in life to do, to get them off their phones, away from their TVs and computers and outside.

The Central Whidbey Soccer Club, and the countless men and women who donate their time and skill-sets to teach this town’s children, to give them an outlet, to make them better people and athletes (but people first) deserve our praise, our support, our help.

Pulling down a banner that has no negative effect and no longer allowing it to be hung in the one place in town every parent will see it, is narrow-minded at best, rank stupidity at worst.

I call upon everyone who has ever had a child in the CWSC, every coach and athlete at CHS and CMS, soccer or otherwise, every fan, every reader to reach out and tell Town of Coupeville officials they are making a mistake.

But one they can still correct.

To contact Baraconi, email her at planner@townofcoupeville.org

To contact Mayor Nancy Conard, email her at mayor@townofcoupeville.org

To contact the Washington State Department of Transportation, Highway Advertising office, call them at (360) 705-7296.

UPDATE:

As of late morning Friday, town officials have softened their stance a bit, telling the Central Whidbey Soccer Club that its sign is not “wrong or illegal,” but that the issue is its location on city property.

Citing an “informal practice” of allowing non-profits to put up signs for events/activities for a week, the town still wants the sign removed by Monday, July 13 at the latest.

There has been no word on whether the sign can be re-posted in the future.

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