It’s hard to miss the banners that fly above Main Street in Natick Center. That’s why this free display space is much sought after and requires applicants to follow a strict set of guidelines in order to get Select Board approval to do so.
We’ve embedded the rules, last updated in 2016, below. But to hit the highlights, the first thing to know is that the space is reserved for Natick non-profits promoting community events from road races to school activities.
An insurance certificate and an indemnification agreement are required. You also need to get permission from Debsan’s Decorating Store and Fair & Yeager Insurance since the banner is hung from their properties.
The advice from those who have been through the process is to put in your request early, as demand can be high in the spring and fall (though less so during the pandemic).
Banners aren’t permitted for installation after Dec. 1 until the spring, and the first spring banner is the “Vote Tuesday” one for Town election. With the wild winter weather around here, it’s not deemed safe to have the banners up sooner.
The standard time for a banner to be displayed is two weeks.
Banners must be printed on both sides—you don’t want drivers pulling U-eys to see what what they’ve missed. The recommended banner size is 3 feet high and 15-20 feet long. They must be at least 16.5 feet above the road, even out of reach for those high flying Natick High basketball players.
For more information, contact the Select Board’s office at (508) 647-6410, and once your banner has been approved, you’ll need to coordinate with the Department of Public Works at (508) 647-6558 to have your banner raised and retrieved.
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