Cary again asks man to remove sign

The town issued a notice Thursday against David Bowden, noting that his message – with words that some might find offensive – violates size and color limits set by the town’s sign ordinance.

Town staff first visited Bowden to ask him to change the sign in July. The violation, which allows for fines for each day the message remains on his house, has yet to be enforced.

Officials decided to proceed with enforcement because of continued complaints from the community and a lack of progress in negotiations with Bowden, the town said in a statement.

In a letter hand-delivered to Bowden Thursday, the town outlines the stalemate and asks that Bowden “support your community’s sign rules and take the required corrective action to remove the sign currently painted on your house.”

Failure to comply, the letter says, “will leave the Town with no other choice than to pursue additional enforcement measures including, but not limited to, issuing civil citations.”

Bowden claims a road-widening project left his once-arboreal yard, at 305 SW Maynard Road, void of trees and with a steep slope that funnels rain water into his home.

Bowden’s complaints are not news to town leaders. Assistant Town Manager Mike Bajorek said the town offered a solution that was unsatisfactory to Bowden.

"We have gone to him and said we have a design that would help resolve (the drainage issue)," Bajorek said. "He said, 'No. Stay off my property. I want you to buy my house.'"

Bajorek said the town has purchased houses with drainage problems when there was no possible solution but that it is not willing, at this point, to spend tax money to buy the house.

"Here in Cary, we welcome our citizens to get involved to express their opinions, but we have community values and standards that we need to uphold," Bajorek said. "Making your home a billboard is not one of those standards."