Newsracks
A. General. Portable and seasonal newsracks serve a legitimate public purpose by providing convenient access to printed news publications. The Town of Jamestown recognizes that news dealers must be permitted to affix newsracks at intersections and places of high pedestrian traffic. Because they are generally placed on public property, the following regulations apply to all newsracks in Jamestown.
B. Permit required. No newsrack shall be placed in Jamestown, either on public or private property, unless the owner or agent has secured a permit for the newsrack from the town council.
The application for a permit shall include the location, size, and description of the newsrack and shall be approved by the zoning enforcement officer prior to approval by the town council. A permit is valid for one year.
The cost of a permit shall be $30.00. This amount may be amended from time to time, such as is sufficient to cover the cost of removing hardware and repairing the sidewalk to its original condition.
C. Permissible locations. The town council shall have discretion over the location of newsracks placed on public streets or sidewalks. Newsracks shall only be placed in such locations and in such a manner so as not to obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic or create a similar nuisance. On sidewalks, sufficient space shall be maintained to permit safe passage of pedestrians, including disabled people.
A dealer may place no more than one newsrack at any one location. Each location is considered to have a circulation radius of 400 feet. No newsrack may be placed within three feet of a street crosswalk or sidewalk ramp, or within ten feet of a fire hydrant or fire/police callbox.
D. Size requirements. Newsracks shall be of reasonable size and shall not be so large as to permit more than one stack of published material at a time. All newsracks shall be less than 48 inches tall.
E. Fixed newsracks. All newsracks shall be fixed in place by an approved means. A dealer may secure the fixture by means of bolts in the sidewalk, provided the method may be easily corrected by the town when the permit has expired.
F. Discontinued use. If no application has been received to continue an expired permit, the newsrack shall be presumed to be abandoned. An abandoned newsrack may be removed by the town at the expense of the owner.
(Ord. of 2-3-2025(1), § 1(Exh. A))