You can’t miss them. “Snipe signs” line the right-of-ways along roads and pop up in medians. They’re everywhere, but they’re also illegal.
Palm Beach County municipalities have a hard time keeping up with this lawn-style signs.
“We buy ugly homes.” “Low cost insurance.” “Summer camps.” You name it, you’ve seen it on a sign.
“They're pervasive across the community,” said Glen Harvie, the president of the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations (COBWRA).
He said these signs hurt the quality of life in West Boynton Beach.
“I think it's clutter, visual clutter,” he explained.
It’s illegal to put the signs on the side of the road in Palm Beach County and in cities like Delray Beach and Boca Raton.
The county’s code enforcement director calls the signs a “headache.” He explained the county can only fine people if they’re caught installing a sign. He said other avenues to curb these signs haven’t worked, or faced legal challenges.
Code enforcement officers across the county pick up illegally placed signs.
Harvie’s group COBWRA has designated a person to pick up illegally placed signs.
“He picks up 10 to 30 a day,” Harvie said.
On the other hand is Luis Valencia. He just opened Modern Man Barbershop in Boynton Beach. He put one of these signs at the entrance to the parking lot of his shop.
“So far about 90 percent of the walk-ins we've had told us they came in because of the sign,” Valencia said.
The problem is roadside signs are prohibited in Boynton Beach. Valencia said he will take the sign down if the city asks.
"We're trying to grow and live a good life,” he pointed out.
Harvie said he’s working with the county to find a way to keep people from putting up signs along roads.
Code enforcement leaders said election signs have a different set of guidelines.
