City Demands Banner Removal at Dog Park

UPDATE: At 5:30 p.m. Patch has learned that a city code enforcement officer has demanded Capistrano Common Sense to remove its protest banner from the outside fence of the Joe Cortese Memorial Dog Park (see attached PDF). The notice of violation says the city, as property owner, has not given permission for the banner. 

Original story ...

The city of San Juan Capistrano’s code enforcement officers are investigating a banner that cropped up Tuesday on city-owned property, highly visible to drivers on Interstate 5.

The banner belongs to Capistrano Common Sense, whose members don’t like a banner promoting the San Juan Capistrano Open Space Foundation, which is building a dog park at the property.

When the group had questioned city officials about the banner, it received a reply members interpret to mean that anyone can hoist banner in a public park, Kim Lefner, editor of Common Sense’s newsletter, told Patch.

So up the banner went, which includes the words, “Special Events” followed by a colon and the group’s website address.

Cathy Salcedo, city spokeswoman, told Patch Wednesday, “The banner is being investigated by Code Enforcement. I cannot comment any further on it.”

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