New store owners and merchants in the Village of Westbury will soon have to adhere to slightly stricter rules when it comes to putting up signs in front of their stores.

The Village of Westbury Board of Trustees recently passed a law that among other things would require new merchants to go before the planning board to discuss the aesthetics, design and size of their signs or awnings before putting them up. The new law is in keeping with the village's efforts to upgrade the look of Westbury's downtown business district and to add uniformity to the area.

Village Attorney Dwight Kramer said the law is also intended to coincide with the Westbury Business Improvement District's (BID) facade improvement project, a plan designed to add character and appeal to Post Ave., its side streets and the businesses lining them.

The law, which both amends and adds to sign and awning regulations already on the books, was first proposed in February but the village board tabled it for refinement. The earlier version of the law charged a $200 fee for the planning board review process. Some in attendance at the public hearing in February, however, said the fee was unreasonably high. The newly passed version reduced the fee to $100.

Under the new law, the planning board will be responsible for determining if sign and awning applications meet certain criteria. For example, awnings or canopies must not extend more than three feet past the store front or facade, it must not extend over the top of the wall of the building and the bottom of it must not be less than seven feet or more than eight feet above the ground. Also, window signs must not cover more than a third of the store front as opposed to a quarter as was previously required.

Another change business owners will want to make note of is a sign and/or awning must be removed within a month of a store closing. The village used to allow up to 60 days for its removal. Store closings due to fire, wind or flood damage have six months to remove signs advertising the business.

As of press time, the village was awaiting verification of the law from the state, according to Kramer. Once the village is notified of verification, the law will go into effect immediately.