When the Glen Lake Chamber’s annual Pumpkin Festival was moved into the Township Hall due to rain, the swiftest and most accessible messaging—the new Township digital sign—was unavailable. Due to a regrettable dispute about its impact, the sign was turned off. Totally dark! Not to be used.
Glen Arbor just can’t seem to catch a break from its own communication goof-ups. After a terrific uproar over the surprise new large digital sign foisted on an unsuspecting populace, followed by an Aug. 21 meeting attended by 70 taxpayers demanding better communication, the township called a special meeting to deal with the question of the sign. Problem is, the meeting was called on Aug. 29 for an Aug. 30, 4 p.m. meeting, giving townspeople less than a 30-hour notice.
Since the sign went up in early August, the overall reaction has been unfavorable. One objection is that it is too big, yet Gretzema points out that the digital portion matches the size of the old yellow trailer sign. That said, there are two signs now rather than just one that’s back-to-back, like the old sign, which doubles the impact of the trailer sign.
“It is controversial,” admits Glen Arbor township supervisor Peter Van Nort, when asked about the new digital sign which was installed on the front lawn of the township hall in early August. Commonly referred to as “the Sign,” it’s actually comprised of two signs placed at opposing angles so it can be read from either direction. Few will miss it as they drive by.