Great Neck Plaza tables ban on vehicle-mounted ads

Village trustees in Great Neck Plaza have spiked their plans to ban vehicle-mounted display advertising along certain roads in the business district.

During Wednesday’s board meeting, Mayor Jean Celender and the board voted to table the proposed legislation and said they would bring it up again later if the displays become a distraction for drivers.

In August, the village introduced draft legislation that prohibited drivers from parking a vehicle with display ads in the village’s business district or on public property. Any signs attached or affixed to a vehicle and used primarily for advertising or used to direct people to the location of a business would have been prohibited under the proposal.

Trustees were set to vote on the proposal in August, but heard stern opposition from Great Neck residents and business owners.

Celender said Wednesday that vehicle-mounted displays ads are not as widespread in the village as officials first thought. 

“This was a matter that we had [legal] counsel draft a local law because of the potential dangers to traffic and pedestrians that we felt these advertising vehicles mounted billboards were, but we held it over for a couple months to see and monitor,” she said. “So far, it’s one company we have that’s been doing this and he’s been pretty much staying out of the village. If we see it being a problem, we have legislation and we’ll bring it back and re-advertise it.”