PLAISTOW — Wave-runners will continue to sway at a few businesses along Route 125 — for now.
The wave-runner controversy started in August when the Planning Board ruled the attention-getters were a violation of the town's sign ordinance. Gradually, about a dozen businesses took the 14-foot-long banners down.
Those who stuck it out have bought themselves some time.
The Planning Board decided last week to leave the issue alone until next month, according to building inspector Mike Dorman. At that time, the board will look at potential zoning amendments for voters to decide on at Town Meeting.
"They decided to leave everything status quo," he said. "Who knows what will happen in a month when they rewrite zoning?"
Dorman said representatives from two businesses, Foods Plus and Singer Subaru, were on hand for the discussion and will surely take part in the push for planners to include wave-runners in the sign ordinance. One of those owners has taken down his wave-runners, the other has not.
The current ordinance defines a sign as anything that stands on a property and attracts attention. It allows businesses to have two, which most of them do. That made wave-runners a violation.
Most of the 15 businesses that had wave-runners had more than one and, therefore, multiple violations.
Ten businesses received a second warning from Dorman last month. But now no fines or further action are planned against the businesses.
That includes Auto Exchange, a used car dealership that immediately took down streamers, banners and wave-runners announcing "Sale," "We Finance" and other auto-related slogans. But the business replaced those things with 15 new wave-runners — designed like the American flag.
Manager Neil Tardugno said at the time they asked the town and were told flags are allowed.
The Planning Board was split on the issue of whether to allow the patriotic distractions, or order them down. They planned to decide last week when Chairman Tim Moore returned from vacation and could break the tie, but instead decided to leave the flags alone for now.
