Allowing a historical building to retain its historical character is simply common sense. But to then attempt to suppress the free speech rights of the building owner is even worse. And to waste so many tax dollars on a pair of battles that the government could not win is not only foolish, but is also irresponsible.

But thatÂ’s what happened in Ogden, Utah.

A man who has fought for a decade to restore a nearly century-old painted sign advertising beer has emerged victorious.

In 1998, Bruce Edwards' request to restore the painted sign on his C.C. Keller building on the city's 25th Street was denied by the Ogden Landmarks Commission. Edwards said one member of the commission said no because the sign advertised beer and didn't fit a family-friendly image for the thoroughfare.
But recently, the commission approved a renewed request.

"I outlasted 'em," Edwards said. "And the bottom line is, I was right."

The original wording on the sign dates back to about 1910 and is painted on the north side of the two-story brick structure. It reads, "Every hour upon the hour for about an hour Drink Becker's Beer — Ogden's Famous Beer."

After his request was denied, Edwards and the city got into a war of sorts. In 2000, Edwards put up a sign in the window of his then-vacant building hammering the city with insults. The City Council then passed an ordinance forbidding signs like Edwards'.

The battle moved to court, where in 2005 a judge sided with Edwards, saying the city had violated his First Amendment rights. So the critical sign stayed and the landmarks commission denied his request to restore the beer sign again.

After more time in court, Edwards applied again last year and finally got the long sought-after approval.

No word on how much money the battle cost the city.

But a hearty hoist of the beer stein to Bruce Edwards for fighting the good fight on behalf of free speech and property rights.

Posted by: Greg at 03:50 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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