Citizens speak up in support of vintage Beckman signs
Randy Beckman and a team of volunteers are planning to take down pieces of several vintage signs in Marquette during the next month, part of what he hopes is a short-term solution to a dispute involving the village’s ordinances regarding commercial signage.
Beckman is a collector of vintage signs, hanging smaller versions in Scotty’s Bar on Main Street, which he and his wife have owned for several years. About 10 years ago, he started collecting large signs touting commercial oil and gas companies, which eventually led to signs of trouble with the Marquette Village Board.
The issue, Beckman said, centers on a change in the village ordinances, which occurred in approximately 2020. Several signs that he erected before the ordinance change are not being challenged, in effect being grandfathered in as permitted uses. However, the village board voted at its July 8 meeting that Beckman has until Aug. 12 to remove the faces from seven signs which were erected after the new ordinance went into effect.
Hillary Betka, the county’s planning and zoning administrator, attended that meeting, saying she was there to answer any questions that might arise with the village board.
“In 2019 to 2020, the county redid all of the zoning regulations, which hadn’t been done in years,” Betka said, noting that those changes were made long before she began her position in September of last year. “A lot of the villages followed up with new regulations as well,” which in this case included new restrictions regarding signage. According to the new ordinances, Betka explained, signs that measure 16 sq. ft. and are more than four feet tall are only allowed on properties in Marquette zoned as C2, C3 and industrial districts, and even there require a zoning permit and village board approval. Such signs are not allowed, by ordinance, in residential districts.
Betka reported that the village hall was filled with people who supported the Beckmans, estimating the crowd at approximately 50 people. The village board minutes indicated that 11 people spoke in support of Beckman’s signs, while nobody spoke against.
“The Beckmans have an outpouring of supporters for their signs that came and spoke to the village board in favor of the signs,” she said. “Ultimately the reason for the meeting was that the signs are in violation of the zoning code in their village regulations. So there are people who want the signs to be able to stay, but we need to be able to get them basically up to par, or amend the regulations to allow them.”
Beckman has filed for an amendment to be added to the village’s regulations which would allow signage in residential districts. If approved, such requests would require a zoning permit and a vote of approval by the village board.
Beckman, who bought Scotty’s with his wife after retiring from a 31-year career with Case New-Holland, said he wants to be cooperative in working toward a solution, but admitted that he did not understand why he is being asked to remove the signs since the village board had previously voted to allow them.
In 2020, he said he located a large “Derby” sign and requested permission to erect it near Scotty’s. His request was approved by a 3-2 vote, though Beckman pointed out that the new ordinances already in effect at that time were not brought up or discussed. Not long after, he said, he requested permission to put up similar signs on his residential property, which is located less across the street west of Scotty’s. He said he was told at that time that he didn’t need village board approval since it involved his residential property. In fact, he added, his son Eric, who was village board chairman at the time, helped him put the signs up over the next year and a half, with the board’s full knowledge.
“Now all of a sudden, I don’t know what happened,” he said, “but it seems like it started getting real personal.”
In March of 2023, Beckman said he was told that he had to get an amendment in order for the large, pole-mounted signs to be in compliance. With former zoning administrator Scott Stuhr’s help, he presented that amendment, but the village board voted to deny the change. After a year of no activity on the matter, Beckman said he was being told by the village board that he would be fined for the violations, which led to the public reaction at the July 8 meeting.
Sign motivation
Asked to explain his motivation for putting up the vintage signs, Beckman said what started out as an interesting hobby has evolved into more of a passionate way to simultaneously connect with people and help bring visitors to Marquette.
“Ten or 12 years ago another gentleman in town had signs and I just always admired the old things because they brought you back to the past,” he said. “You see this old stuff and it reminded you of the good old days. Nobody had the kind of issues and stuff that go on today and I just enjoy them for that reason.
“I also like that when older people like myself come into Scotty’s, where we have a bunch of older signs as well, they just enjoy it,” he continued. “A lot of times people will ask if they can go down the alley and look at my other signs, and I say, ‘Absolutely.’ You just hear all these stories about how their grandparents or their great-grandparents or even their dad had these different businesses throughout the years in Nebraska and even surrounding states. This just brings back good, good memories for them and in turn that makes me happy. If there is anything in life you can do to put a smile on somebody’s face I think you’re obligated to do that. That’s what these signs are about for me.”
Beckman went on to explain how he bought his first large commercial sign while on a motorcycle trip to South Dakota with his wife in 2016. He ended up buying several more signs in the year since from that same gentleman, who passed away recently.
“So that sign is just real sentimental to me,” Beckman said of his original purchase. “I just started looking for them at some point and even went to the corner of Virginia to get one because you can’t find them around here. Me and my son took a road trip to pick those up because I want to share history with everybody, instead of tearing down history. I think in rural America we should have the right to save some history, especially the good history, the non-offensive stuff, and that’s what these are. They’re just gas and oil stuff that multiple people enjoy, and again, that’s what brings me my happiness.”
Beckman will now wait for his proposed amendment, which would allow the vintage signs to go back up, to be processed. Betka confirmed that the amendment is on the Aug. 12 agenda for the Hamilton County Joint Planning and Zoning Commission. If approved by that board, the amendment could go before the Marquette Village Board at its Sept. 9 meeting.