In order to operate his antique shop on Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth, Carl Dittirch has to pay insurance, collect sales tax and maintain his yard and driveway. He doesn’t understand why other residents are allowed to sell used items without any restrictions.
In response to a request from Dittrich, the Cape Elizabeth Town Council Monday addressed a proposal to limit the number of yard sales residents are allowed to have each year. At the same meeting, the ordinance committee presented an amended sign ordinance, which would restrict posting signs advertising a yard sale to no more than three times per year on any property.
The council referred the yard-sale-limit ordinance to the planning board for consideration of a zoning ordinance amendment. The council will hold a public hearing on the sign ordinance next month.
Dittrich said he is not opposed to yard sales, only what he deemed “perma-sales.” He said he has seen some residents have as many as 15 yard sales throughout the year.
“Three per year would clean out any house in Cape Elizabeth,” he said. “Anything more is a business.”
Town Manager Mike McGovern said he has gotten complaints about people in town having 20 yard sales per year. Any limitation put in place, he said, would be directed at those people “to say enough’s enough.”
In March, the Scarborough Town council voted to limit residents to three yard sales per year, in response to a written complaint from neighbors about a string of yard sales held at a residence on Ridgeway Road. Residents are now required to pay for a $5 permit to have a yard sale so that the town can keep track of how many yard sales are held at each residence. According to the Scarborough clerk’s office, the town issued nearly 200 permits over the past spring and summer.
Scarborough Town Manager Ron Owens said that, as far as he knew, there have been no complaints about yard sales since the ordinance was passed.
Dittrich said he doesn’t believe there should be a fee for yard sales, but simply a registration process.
Cape may put limit on yard sales
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