NORWICH – City residents hoping to earn a buck from garage sales next year will have a new set of guidelines to follow by virtue of code changes adopted this week by the Norwich Common Council.
Having received no comments in two public hearings held at the Common Council Chambers on Tuesday, city representatives unanimously passed two resolutions that alter the rules and regulations of garage sales within city limits. Officials say action will prevent residents from turning their front lawn into an all-summer-long exchange and address related issues such as cluttered neighborhoods, and even traffic safety concerns.
By resolution, garage sales, yard sales and porch saless are now allowed for a period of no longer than three days in succession for no more than a total of six days per year (whereas previous laws allowed garage sales for no more than 10 days per year). Additionally, new regulations require that tents, tables, chairs and other items used during the sale be removed at the end of the sale.
A second resolution requires residents who advertise their garage or yard sale with a sign to remove the sign within 24 hours of the sale. A provision of the city’s updated yard sale ordinance also reiterates that the sale of items purchased elsewhere solely for the purpose of resale is prohibited.
In September, City Codes Enforcement Officer Jason Lawrence said the measure to tighten garage sale regulations was brought about because of issues with a number of homes in the city.
“There are about eight to ten garage sales throughout the city that are going on all summer,” he said in a September interview. “A lot of changes are being driven by the public, by folks who are tired of their neighbors having these perpetual yard sales because they can cause traffic problems and be a bit of an eyesore ... When people have a tent pitched all summer, it becomes an issue.”